Synonyms of debris

debris

noun

də-ˈbrē 

1

as in garbage

discarded or useless material

the unsightly debris left after mining operations had ceased

Synonyms & Similar Words

• garbage
• trash
• dust
• rubbish
• junk
• rubble
• litter
• sewage
• truck
• waste
• wreckage
• chaff
• dross
• offal
• deadwood
• effluvium
• refuse
• scrap
• riffraff
• lumber
• detritus
• ruins
• raffle
• dreck
• wash
• spilth
• crud
• offscouring
• remains
• flotsam
• dump
• jetsam
• discard
• scrap heap
• swill
• straw
• slop
• odds and ends
• trumpery
• cull
• nothing
• castoff
• reject
• two bits
• throwaway
• hand-me-down

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• treasure
• prize
• plum
• pearl
• treasure trove
• catch
• trove
• jewel
• gem
• find
• salvage
• booty
• valuable
• goody

2

as in rubble

the portion or bits of something left over or behind after it has been destroyed

the demolition workers cleared away all of the debris from the demolished building

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rubble
• wreckage
• ruins
• remains
• ashes
• remnant
• residue
• detritus
• wreck
• flotsam
• dust
• garbage
• junk
• leavings
• litter
• jetsam
• trash
• chaff
• rubbish
• waste
• dross
• scrap
• refuse
• deadwood
• riffraff

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of debris

Rescue operations and clean-up crews are still working in the wake of last week’s devastating debris avalanche and floods in Nepal and Tibet. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 2 Sep. 2026

Over the course of several years, logs and woody debris could have accumulated in this area, Gammer explained, forming a sort of raft on which trees can grow — and embark on naval expeditions, apparently. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 2 Sep. 2026

Chinese surveillance footage from the Tibetan side of the border shows a huge wall of mud and debris crashing over buildings and engulfing roads as people desperately try to flee the torrent. — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026

An ice and rock avalanche from a high-altitude glacier may have triggered the flooding, with a large volume of debris entering the Lende Khola tributary, researchers have said in a preliminary assessment. — Josh Feldman, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026