English Reference
noun · adjective · verb

crap

n. · adj. · v.
US /ˈkɹæp/ UK /kɹˈæp/ crap UK spelling crapped, crapping

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate InformalVulgar

    n.things that are useless, broken, or of very low quality.

    n.worthless or poor-quality objects or material. Uncountable in this sense.

    Simple

    I need to clear all this old crap out of the garage before we move.

    In context

    The market was filled with cheap plastic crap that looked like it would break within five minutes of use.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate InformalVulgar

    n.lies, nonsense, or talk that is not true.

    n.insincere or foolish talk; nonsense or lies. Often used to dismiss an argument or excuse.

    Simple

    Don't give me that crap; I know you weren't actually at the library.

    In context

    He spent the entire meeting talking absolute crap about his supposed connections in the industry.

  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate InformalVulgar

    n.a rude word for solid waste from the body.

    n.excrement or the act of defecation. Considered less offensive than 'shit' but still vulgar.

    Simple

    Make sure you pick up your dog's crap when you walk him in the park.

    In context

    The toddler told his mother he needed to take a crap, using the slang he had overheard from his older brothers.

  4. 04 B2 Upper Intermediate InformalVulgar

    adj.very bad or of poor quality.

    adj.of extremely poor quality; unpleasant or contemptible.

    Simple

    The weather was really crap during our entire holiday in Scotland.

    In context

    I felt crap after staying up all night to finish the report, only to find out the deadline had been moved.

  5. 05 C1 Advanced InformalVulgar

    v.to pass solid waste from the body.

    v.to defecate. Usually intransitive, though it can be used transitively when referring to fouling clothing.

    Simple

    The cat crapped on the rug again while we were out.

    In context

    The stray dog had crapped right in the middle of the pavement, much to the annoyance of the morning commuters.

  6. 06 C2 Proficiency Technical

    n.a losing throw of the dice in the game called craps.

    n.a losing throw of 2, 3, or 12 in the game of craps. Often used as an attributive noun in the name of the game itself.

    Simple

    He rolled a crap on his first turn and lost his bet immediately.

    In context

    The player groaned as the dice settled on a three, a losing crap that ended his winning streak at the table.

In the 20 years since the character has been away, he says that “the world went to crap: there was Covid, wars and Ed Sheeran”.

The Guardian· 25 Aug 2026

Etymology 1

From Middle English crappe, also in plural: crappys, craps (“chaff; buckwheat”), from Middle French crape, from Old French crappe, crapin (“chaff”) (compare Medieval Latin crappa pl, also crapinum), from Old Dutch krappen (“to cut off, pluck off”) (whence Middle Dutch crappe, crap (“a chop, cutlet”), whence Dutch krip (“a steak”)). Related to crop.

Etymology 2

From crab's eyes.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin odt krappen
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Common
Updated