English Reference

Phrasal verb

chuck away

Definition

phrasal verb. to throw something into the trash because you do not want it anymore.

phrasal verb. to discard or dispose of an item, typically because it is perceived as useless or redundant; informal register.

Examples

“Don't chuck away those old magazines yet.”

“I spent the whole afternoon cleaning the garage and chucking away broken tools and empty boxes.”

“While some collectors preserve every scrap of paper, others prefer to chuck away anything that does not serve an immediate practical purpose.”

Examples

simple

“Don't chuck away those old magazines yet.”

contextual

“I spent the whole afternoon cleaning the garage and chucking away broken tools and empty boxes.”

complex

“While some collectors preserve every scrap of paper, others prefer to chuck away anything that does not serve an immediate practical purpose.”

Usage

highly informal; common in British and Australian English.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'throw away' (neutral) and 'discard' (formal); the verb 'chuck' implies a casual or careless physical action.

Pitfall

I chucked away it.

I chucked it away.

when using a pronoun like 'it' or 'them', it must go between the verb and the particle.

Phrasal verb

Particles

away

Separability

optional

Pattern

chuck + (object) + away

Synonyms

tossbinget rid ofthrow away

Antonyms

Grammar

This entry

Level
B1 · Intermediate
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/chuck-away

English Reference