debris

noun

de·​bris də-ˈbrē 

dā-ˈbrē,

ˈdā-ˌbrē,

 British usually  ˈde-(ˌ)brē

plural debris də-ˈbrēz 

dā-ˈbrēz,

ˈdā-ˌbrēz,

 British usually  ˈde-(ˌ)brēz

1

: the remains of something broken down or destroyed

digging through the storm's debris in search of survivors

sifted through the debris of her broken marriage

2

geology : an accumulation of fragments of rock

3

: something discarded : rubbish

picking up debris after the parade

Synonyms

• garbage
• dust
• trash
• rubbish
• junk
• rubble
• litter
• truck
• sewage

Examples of debris in a Sentence

After the earthquake, rescuers began digging through the debris in search of survivors.

Everything was covered by dust and debris.

Recent Examples on the Web

Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard. —Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2025

The vacuum can effectively suck up dirt, debris, and pet hair from all floor types, including hard floors, carpets, and area rugs. —Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025

There’s a lot of stuff in the ocean, and marine debris tends to aggregate in the same places as does the whale sharks’ primary prey. —JSTOR Daily, 24 Oct. 2025

The debris somehow seems more remote from our moment than the nineteenth-century statuary, a feeling that speaks both to the whiplash of our era and to the ways that discrimination in remembrance shapes which histories are available to the public imagination. —Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French débris, from Middle French, from debriser to break to pieces, from Old French debrisier, from de- + brisier to break, of Celtic origin; akin to Old Irish brisid he breaks; perhaps akin to Latin fricare to rub — more at friction

First Known Use

1708, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for debris

• agree
• allee
• banshee
• beastly
• bibi
• bowsprit
• carefree
• cerci
• chablis
• cowpea
• crappie
• crappy

Kids Definition

debris

noun

de·​bris də-ˈbrē 

dā-;

ˈdā-ˌbrē

plural debris -ˈbrēz 

-ˌbrēz

1

: the remains of something broken down or destroyed : ruins

2

: an accumulation of fragments of rock

3

: something discarded : rubbish

Medical Definition

debris

noun

de·​bris

də-ˈbrē, dā-ˈ, ˈdā-ˌ, British usually ˈdeb-(ˌ)rē

plural debris

: organic waste from dead or damaged tissue

a wound obscured by blood and debris

—Emergency Medicine