Word
rubbish
Phoneticsrub·bish, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɹəbɪʃ/
UK/ɹˈʌbɪʃ/
Definitions
01waste or garbage
A2 · Elementary Uncountable noun British English
n. things that you throw away because you do not want or need them anymore.
n. discarded or useless material; refuse or litter. Uncountable in this sense.
“Don't forget to take the rubbish out to the bins tonight.”
“The local council has introduced stricter regulations regarding how households must sort their rubbish into recyclable and non-recyclable categories.”
Usage
Commonly used with the verb 'take out' or 'collect'.
02nonsense
B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun British English · Informal
n. something that is not true or is very silly.
n. ideas, statements, or beliefs that are considered nonsensical, worthless, or untrue.
“He claims he can run a marathon in two hours, but that's total rubbish.”
“The politician's explanation for the budget deficit was dismissed as pure rubbish by independent economic analysts.”
03very bad
B1 · Intermediate British English · Informal
adj. used to describe something that is of very poor quality or someone who is not good at a task.
adj. of extremely poor quality; worthless or incompetent.
“The film we saw last night was rubbish; we left before the end.”
“I am absolutely rubbish at drawing, so I usually ask my sister to help me with my art projects.”
04to criticize
C1 · Advanced British English · Informal
v. to say that something or someone is very bad or has no value.
v. to criticize or disparage something or someone severely.
“The critics rubbished her new book before it was even published.”
“The opposition party was quick to rubbish the government's new environmental policy, calling it a superficial attempt to win votes.”
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English robous (“rubbish, building rubble”), further origin uncertain; possibly from Anglo-Norman rubous, rubouse, rubbouse (“refuse, waste material; building rubble”), and compare Anglo-Latin rebbussa, robousa, robusium, robusum, rubisum, rubusa, rubusium (although the Anglo-Norman and Anglo-Latin words may be derived from the English word instead of the other way around, as there are no known Old French cognates of the word). The English word may be related to rubble, though the connection is unclear. Possibly derived ultimately from Old Norse rubba (“to huddle, crowd together, heap up", also possibly "to rub, scrape”), from Proto-Germanic *rubbōną (“to rub, scrape”). Compare Swedish rubba (“to move, displace, dislodge, upset”). The verb is derived from the noun.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- A2 · ElementaryOxford
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