# garbage

/ˈɡɑɹbɪdʒ/ (US) · /ɡˈɑːbɪdʒ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/garbage
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. waste material

noun · CEFR A2 · American English

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

For teachers: waste material, refuse, or litter, especially food waste and household items.

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

### 2. nonsense

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

something that is not true or is very stupid.

For teachers: worthless or nonsensical ideas, talk, or creative work.

- I don't believe a word of that story; it's complete garbage.
- The critic dismissed the latest blockbuster as pure garbage, citing its predictable plot and wooden acting.

### 3. unused memory

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

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

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

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

### 4. very bad

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal · Slang

of very poor quality; not good at all.

For teachers: extremely poor in quality or performance; used as a predicative adjective.

- The weather was garbage all weekend, so we stayed inside.
- I tried to watch that new series, but the writing was so garbage I couldn't finish the first episode.

## Examples

- Please take the garbage out to the bin.
- The city collects the garbage every Tuesday morning to keep the streets clean and sanitary.
- Critics dismissed the film as absolute garbage, citing its weak plot and uninspired performances as evidence of a rushed production.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.