rubbish

noun

ˈrə-bish How to pronounce rubbish (audio)
Definition of rubbishnext
1
as in garbage
discarded or useless material it's illegal to throw rubbish out of your car on the highway

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in junk
that which is of low quality or worth regarded most romance novels as the lowest form of literary rubbish

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense you're obviously no economist because what you're saying is absolute rubbish

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 rubbish Historically, this ash is dumped in piles, mixed in cement, or simply thrown away as industrial rubbish. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 24 May 2026 Trash pickup Chris Barnett, Orion Township supervisor, said residents of his community will be allowed to place more bagged trash outside at their next Waste Management pickup day to help handle overflow rubbish from paper plates, etc. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 12 May 2026 From the Japanese point of view, leaving rubbish piled up in a stadium would be a bother to others. — Stephen Wade, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026 Local villages are actively monitoring the oceans and reefs in their environment, and backlash to a recent plan from a billionaire Australian to build a giant plant to incinerate rubbish in Fiji was loud and well organized, says Singh. — Michelle Duff, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rubbish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubbish
  1. garbage
  2. junk
  3. nonsense
  4. debris
  5. cheese
  6. nuts
  7. trash
  8. blah
Noun
  • William Gottlieb’s suit also notes that Urban Zen hosts catered gatherings that generate food garbage, therefore creating fodder for the rats.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Once on the first floor, state police found that this area of the home was also cluttered with various things as well as large black garbage bags filled with unknown items, the search warrant said.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of garbage
Noun
  • The Workshop will have a space to customize your own junk journal.
    — Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Utilities Another common sight in the kitchen is a junk or utility drawer (or two).
    — Sheila Kim, The Spruce, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of junk
Noun
  • Statham, who turned 59 this summer and is still in incredible shape, performs on his usual high-octane, no-time-for-nonsense level.
    — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The nonsense began last year as a stunt tied to a cryptocurrency group, but more recently has been linked to groups protesting league policies.
    — Greg Cote August 23, Miami Herald, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of nonsense
Noun
  • 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
Definition of debris
Noun
  • Burnt on cheese and sauce still stained a bit, even with a dark charcoal gray glaze, but that was more of an aesthetic issue than anything affecting performance.
    — Adam Campbell-Schmitt, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026
  • On weekdays, a steady stream of regulars stop in the light and bright space for their morning coffee and croissant or to sit for a bit with a ham and cheese sandwich and one of the shop’s seasonal specialty drinks.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of cheese
Noun
  • White suggests nuts, popcorn, bite-size desserts, cheese boards, or, of course, nostalgic candy.
    — Heather Bien, Southern Living, 29 Aug. 2026
  • This is an uncomplicated yarn about a man prying open his heart and nudging other hard nuts to do the same.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of nuts
Noun
  • To paraphrase Tolstoy, all slop is alike, but every piece of trash is trashy in its own oddball way.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Four months later, he was seen last weekend walking dogs, taking walks, enjoying a cup of coffee in a garage, and even stopping to sift through neighborhood trash items on the side of the street.
    — Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of trash
Noun
  • There's been some good, but, generally, it's just been sort of blah.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • That’s where all the problems come from—the shrinkage, the color, blah, blah, blah.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of blah

Browse Nearby Words

rubbing the wrong way
rubbish
rubbishy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rubbish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbish. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on rubbish

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rubbish

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All