DROSS Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

dross

noun

ˈdräs

Definition of dross

as in garbage

discarded or useless material get rid of the dross before closing up the shop

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of dross And we are asked to make the leap ourselves—men were also sacrificed as dross. — Literary Hub, 20 May 2026 The downside of all of these riches is the dross accompanying the gold. — Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026 What tabloid dross tends to obscure is his impressive career—first as a star dancer at the New York City Ballet, then as a roving choreographer of complex, dynamic work that is rooted in balletic conventions but not restricted by them. — Sara Krolewski, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026 These meteors are the dross shed by the comet 169P/NEAT, whose path Earth crosses at this time each year. — Joe Rao, Space.com, 16 July 2025 Amongst all the dross and angst, Neil and Teddy try to talk everyone into investing in a baseball-card trading venture that might generate $500 in profits after a year. — Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 19 June 2025 But among the dross there gleam a few brilliant exceptions—deceptive, slippery books that defy the constraints of region and genre. — Charlie Lee, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025 The chipmaker is still raising cash and cutting costs though, as there seems to be quite a bit of dross. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2025 Many experience mental health challenges on top of the physical toll of making something out of the unending dross Kantamanto is pummeled with. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dross

Noun

Store garbage in secure, air-tight containers inside a garage or storage area.

— Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 11 Nov. 2026
According to Furkids Animal Rescue and Shelters, the dogs had been living in darkness on floors covered in inches of feces, with dead animals discarded in garbage bags.

— CBS News, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of garbage

Noun

Always dispose of infected plant debris, but consider leaving some non-diseased leaves for bees and butterflies.

— Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 6 Nov. 2026
For example, a floor-only cleaning session may be appropriate for routine debris removal, while full-coverage cleaning can be selected when walls, slopes and the waterline also require attention.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of debris

Noun

South Africans voted this week in local polls that determine which parties get to control major cities and local municipal districts that are responsible for the delivery of basic services like water, road maintenance and rubbish removal.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026
The robots are expected to handle several tasks, including stocking and organizing shelves, preparing coffee and hot food, greeting customers, and clearing rubbish.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of rubbish

Noun

Nominations for the 69th Grammy Awards will be announced Monday morning, capping a year-long pop-music season in which new stars rose, old hands returned and Taylor Swift dropped a song about Cleveland that even people in Ohio decided was trash.

— Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026
This year’s event gathered nearly 11,000 pounds of trash, Getz said, and 1,625 volunteers contributed 15,000 volunteer hours.

— Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 11 Nov. 2026

Definition of trash

Noun

Sometimes, Stevens asks a building for permission to go through its trash, marketing himself as a junk removal service.

— Tom Huddleston Jr.,Mickey Todiwala, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026
Reading it is like opening the hall closet and having the contents of an antique junk shop, laced with spiky and rusted farm implements, spill out and maim your dog.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of junk

Noun

Democrats won legislative trifectas big enough to pass progressive bills that had gathered dust and lint under Republican control.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Flat fields, which depict a uniform light background, help correct for defects caused by telescope optics, dust spots, and variations in pixel sensitivity.

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of dust

Noun

Ivan Fedorov, co-chair of the regional defense council, said 12 bodies pulled from the rubble had been identified so far.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Nov. 2026
The latest Russian aerial barrage underscored the scale of the rebuilding task, as did the ongoing search for people missing beneath rubble after a deadly airstrike in southern Ukraine on Monday.

— Derek Gatopoulos, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of rubble

Browse Nearby Words

droshky

dross

drought

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“Dross.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dross. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of dross

noun

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