# rubbish

/ˈɹəbɪʃ/ (US) · /ɹˈʌbɪʃ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/rubbish
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. waste or garbage

noun · CEFR A2 · British English

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

For teachers: 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'.

### 2. nonsense

noun · CEFR B1 · British English · Informal

something that is not true or is very silly.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. very bad

adjective · CEFR B1 · British English · Informal

used to describe something that is of very poor quality or someone who is not good at a task.

For teachers: 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.

### 4. to criticize

verb · CEFR C1 · British English · Informal

to say that something or someone is very bad or has no value.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- Please put your rubbish in the bin.
- The street was covered in rubbish after the festival ended and the crowds went home.
- While the politician claimed his new policy would solve the housing crisis, many experts dismissed the entire proposal as absolute rubbish.

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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.