Word
scrub
US/ˈskɹəb/
UK/skɹˈʌb/
Definitions
01to clean by rubbing
B1 · Intermediate
v. to rub something hard with a brush or cloth to clean it.
v. to clean or scour a surface by applying vigorous friction, typically with a stiff brush and water.
“You need to scrub the kitchen floor to get those muddy footprints off.”
“The maintenance crew had to scrub the stone walls for hours to remove the layers of accumulated grime and graffiti.”
02to cancel
B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal
v. to decide not to do something that was planned.
v. to cancel or abandon a scheduled event or project, often at short notice.
“The company decided to scrub the project because it was too expensive.”
“The mission director was forced to scrub the launch just minutes before lift-off due to a sudden change in wind speed.”
03medical clothes
B2 · Upper Intermediate Plural noun Medicine
n. the loose clothes that doctors and nurses wear in a hospital.
n. hygienic clothing worn by surgeons and other operating room personnel, now used broadly for any medical uniform.
“The surgeon changed into her green scrubs before the operation started.”
“After a long shift in the emergency room, his blue scrubs were wrinkled and stained with coffee.”
Usage
Usually used in the plural form 'scrubs'.
Synonyms
04an incompetent person
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Slang · Informal
n. someone who is not good at something or has no money or style.
n. a derogatory term for a person perceived as inferior, incompetent, or unsuccessful.
“He's just a scrub who spends all day complaining and doing nothing.”
“The veteran players had little patience for the new recruit, dismissively labeling him a scrub after his first few mistakes on the field.”
Teaching tip
This term was popularized in 1990s pop culture to describe a man who is unsuccessful or lacks ambition.
Real-World Examples
“On the downside, it’s a musical, and you will never be able to scrub It’s a Hap-Hap-Happy Day from your brain.” “While it’s easy to scrub digital files, C2PA may actually offer a better way to determine what’s real.” Etymology
Late Middle English in the sense of "stunted tree," a variant of shrub, possibly under Old Norse influence.
From Middle English scrobben (“groom a horse with a currycomb”); from Middle Dutch schrobben (“clean by scrubbing”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domains
- 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.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL 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: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/scrub