English Reference
Word noun · adjective

garbage

n. · adj.
US /ˈɡɑɹbɪdʒ/ UK /ɡˈɑːbɪdʒ/ garbage UK spelling garbage's, garbage's
Definition
  1. 01 A2 Elementary American English

    n.things that you throw away because you do not want them anymore.

    n.waste material, refuse, or litter, especially food waste and household items.

    Simple

    “Don't forget to take the garbage out to the bin before you leave.”

    In context

    “The city council implemented a new system to separate organic garbage from recyclable plastics to reduce the volume of landfill waste.”

    Usage

    Uncountable noun; does not have a plural form in this sense.

    Synonyms
    trashrubbishwaste
    Antonyms
    valuablesresources
  2. 02 B1 Intermediate Informal

    n.something that is not true or is very stupid.

    n.worthless or nonsensical ideas, talk, or creative work.

    Simple

    “I don't believe a word of that story; it's complete garbage.”

    In context

    “The critic dismissed the latest blockbuster as pure garbage, citing its predictable plot and wooden acting.”

    Synonyms
    nonsenserubbishbaloney
    Antonyms
    truthsense
  3. 03 C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    n.data in a computer's memory that is no longer needed but still takes up space.

    n.allocated memory that is no longer reachable by the program but has not yet been reclaimed.

    Simple

    “The program slowed down because it didn't clear the garbage from its memory.”

    In context

    “The language features an automatic garbage collector that identifies and deallocates objects no longer in use by the application.”

    Usage

    Often used in the phrase 'garbage collection'.

    Synonyms
    junk data
  4. 04 B2 Upper Intermediate InformalSlang

    adj.of very poor quality; not good at all.

    adj.extremely poor in quality or performance; used as a predicative adjective.

    Simple

    “The weather was garbage all weekend, so we stayed inside.”

    In context

    “I tried to watch that new series, but the writing was so garbage I couldn't finish the first episode.”

    Synonyms
    terribleawfulcrap
    Antonyms
    excellentgreat
Etymology

From late Middle English garbage (“the offal of a fowl, giblets, kitchen waste”, originally “refuse, what is purged away”), from Anglo-Norman, from Old French garber (“to refine, make neat or clean”), of Germanic origin, from Frankish *garwijan (“to make ready”). Akin to Old High German garawan (“to prepare, make ready”), Old English ġearwian (“to make ready, adorn”). More at garb, yare, gear

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

This entry
Origin frk *garwijan
Level A2 · Elementary
Frequency Common
Updated