1
chiefly US
a
: things that are no longer useful or wanted and that have been thrown out : trash
The park was littered with garbage.
Please take out the garbage.
Raccoons were going through the garbage.
—often used to refer specifically to food waste that is being thrown outthe smell of rotting garbage
b
: a container where people put things that are being thrown out
Throw the can in the garbage.
2
informal
: something that is worthless, unimportant, or of poor quality
Maybe you should read a book instead of watching that garbage [=rubbish] on TV.
3
informal
: foolish or untrue words or ideas : nonsense
If you ask me, what he said is a bunch/load of garbage.
Cite this Entry
“Garbage.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/garbage. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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