rubbish
noun /ˈrʌbɪʃ/
/ˈrʌbɪʃ/
[uncountable]- (especially British English) things that you throw away because you no longer want or need them
- a rubbish bag/bin
- a rubbish dump/heap/tip
- The streets were littered with rubbish.
- garden/household rubbish
- The rubbish is collected on Tuesdays.
- Weeks have gone by without a rubbish collection, and the stench is terrible.
- He is supporting a campaign to encourage people to recycle their rubbish.
British/American rubbish / garbage / trash / refuserubbish / garbage / trash / refuse- Rubbish is the usual word in British English for the things that you throw away because you no longer want or need them. Garbage and trash are both used in North American English. Inside the home, garbage tends to mean waste food and other wet material, while trash is paper, card and dry material.
- In British English, you put your rubbish in a dustbin in the street to be collected by the dustmen. In North American English, your garbage and trash goes in a garbage can/trashcan in the street and is collected by garbage men/collectors.
- Refuse is a formal word and is used in both British English and North American English. Refuse collector is the formal word for a dustman or garbage collector.
Wordfinder- drain
- dump
- effluent
- exhaust
- fly-tip
- incinerator
- landfill
- rubbish
- sewage
- waste
Collocations The environmentThe environmentEnvironmental damagesee also garbage, trash- cause/contribute to climate change/global warming
- produce pollution/CO2/greenhouse (gas) emissions
- damage/destroy the environment/a marine ecosystem/the ozone layer/coral reefs
- degrade ecosystems/habitats/the environment
- harm the environment/wildlife/marine life
- threaten natural habitats/coastal ecosystems/a species with extinction
- deplete natural resources/the ozone layer
- pollute rivers and lakes/waterways/the air/the atmosphere/the environment/oceans
- contaminate groundwater/the soil/food/crops
- log forests/rainforests/trees
- address/combat/tackle the threat/effects/impact of climate change
- fight/take action on/reduce/stop global warming
- limit/curb/control air/water/atmospheric/environmental pollution
- cut/reduce pollution/greenhouse gas emissions
- offset carbon/CO2 emissions
- reduce (the size of) your carbon footprint
- achieve/promote sustainable development
- preserve/conserve biodiversity/natural resources
- protect endangered species/a coastal ecosystem
- prevent/stop soil erosion/overfishing/massive deforestation/damage to ecosystems
- raise awareness of environmental issues
- save the planet/the rainforests/an endangered species
- conserve/save/consume/waste energy
- manage/exploit/be rich in natural resources
- dump/dispose of hazardous/toxic/nuclear waste
- dispose of/throw away litter/(especially British English) rubbish/(especially North American English) garbage/(North American English) trash/sewage
- use/be made from recycled/recyclable/biodegradable material
- recycle bottles/packaging/paper/plastic/waste
- promote/encourage recycling/sustainable development/the use of renewable energy
- develop/invest in/promote renewable energy
- reduce your dependence/reliance on fossil fuels
- get/obtain/generate/produce electricity from wind, solar and wave power/renewable sources
- build/develop a (50-megawatt/offshore) wind farm
- install/be fitted with/be powered by solar panels
Extra ExamplesTopics The environmenta2- He's clearing rubbish out of the attic.
- I forgot to put the rubbish out last night.
- Someone had dumped their rubbish by the road.
- There was rubbish strewn around everywhere.
- Throw the rubbish in the bin.
- Over a third of British household rubbish is packaging.
- About three million tonnes of rubbish will be thrown away.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- domestic
- household
- garden
- …
- bag
- pile
- tons
- …
- put out
- collect
- remove
- …
- decay
- rot
- bag
- bin
- skip
- …
- (British English, informal) (also used as an adjective) something that you think is of poor quality
- I thought the play was rubbish!
- The film was absolute/complete rubbish.
- Do we have to listen to this rubbish music?
- They said I was a rubbish boss.
Extra Examples- We had some rubbish teachers at school.
- I was told their new album's complete rubbish.
- The antique shop was just full of old rubbish.
- Many critics see the paintings as worthless rubbish.
- Why are you eating such rubbish?
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- absolute
- complete
- total
- …
- talk
- rubbish about
- a load of rubbish
- what rubbish!
- (British English, informal) comments, ideas, etc. that you think are stupid or wrong synonym nonsense
- Rubbish! You're not fat.
- You're talking a load of rubbish.
- It's not rubbish—it's true!
- He described the claims as utter rubbish and nonsense.
Extra Examples- What he said was just a load of old rubbish.
- the usual rubbish about his undiscovered talents
- She's always talking rubbish.
- That suggestion's absolute rubbish.
- Then we were told a lot of rubbish about ‘leadership’ and ‘bonding’.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- absolute
- complete
- total
- …
- talk
- rubbish about
- a load of rubbish
- what rubbish!
Word Originlate Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French rubbous; perhaps related to Old French robe ‘spoils’; compare with rubble. The change in the ending was due to association with -ish. The verb (1950s) was originally Australian and New Zealand slang.