rubbish

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   worthless material that is to be disposed of

   After we were done, we discarded all the rubbish.

2. 2
   noun

   Refuse, waste, garbage, junk, trash.

   The rubbish is collected every Thursday in Gloucester, but on Wednesdays in Cheltenham.

3. 3
   noun

   An item, or items, of low quality.

   Much of what they sell is rubbish.

4. 4
   noun

   Nonsense.

   Everything the teacher said during that lesson was rubbish. How can she possibly think that a bass viol and a cello are the same thing?

5. 5
   noun

   Debris or ruins of buildings; rubble.

   That Antichriſt is a man exerciſing a kingdome, the head of the vniuerſall Apoſtaſie, […] the Romane monarchie being diuided and fallen downe, out of the rubbiſhes whereof, he is by litle & litle riſen & increaſed, thorow the power and forcible working of Sathan, […]

6. 6
   adj

   Exceedingly bad; awful.

   This has been a rubbish day, and it’s about to get worse: my mother-in-law is coming to stay.

7. 7
   intj

   Used to express that something is exceedingly bad, awful, or terrible.

   - The one day I actually practice my violin, the teacher cancels the lesson. - Aw, rubbish! Though at least this means you have time to play football.

8. 8
   intj

   Used to express that what was recently said is nonsense or untrue; balderdash!, nonsense!

   Rubbish! I did nothing of the sort!

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 t…