rubbish

English

Etymology

Anglo-Norman rubouses, of Unknown origin; presumably ultimately from Proto-Germanic *raub- (“to break”) (from whence rob, via meaning “plunder, destroy”). Related to rubble. In verb sense “to criticize”, attested 1953 in Australian and New Zealand slang.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈrʌbɪʃ/

Adjective

rubbish (comparative more rubbish, superlative most rubbish)

1. (chiefly Australia, New Zealand, UK, colloquial) Exceedingly bad; awful; terrible; crappy.

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

Translations

exceedingly bad; awful; terrible; crappy

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 垃圾 (cmn) (lāji), 爛 (cmn), 烂 (cmn) (làn)

• French: pourri (fr)

• Japanese: 屑のような (ja) (くずのような, kuzu no yōna), ゴミのような (ja) (ごみのような, gomi no yōna)

Interjection

rubbish!

1. (chiefly Australia, New Zealand, UK, colloquial) Expresses that something is exceedingly bad, terrible or awful.

   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...

2. Expresses that what was recently said is untruth or nonsense.

   Rubbish! I did nothing of the sort!

Synonyms

• (expresses that what was recently said is untruth or nonsense): nonsense, bullshit, bollocks

Translations

expresses that something is exceedingly bad

• German: Müll (de)
• Hungarian: szemét (hu)

• Italian: schifezza (it) f, sciocchezza (it) f
• Japanese: クズ (ja) (くず, kuzu), ゴミ (ja) (ごみ, gomi)

expresses that what was recently said is untruth or nonsense

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 废话 (cmn) (fèi huà), 胡扯 (cmn) (húchě)

• Dutch: onzin (nl)
• Georgian: სისულელე (ka) (sisulele)

• German: Quatsch (de)
• Italian: corbelleria (it) f, cretinata (it) f, assurdità (it) f
• Japanese: くだらない (ja) (kudaranai), ばかばかしい (ja) (bakabaka-shī)

Noun

Wikipedia rubbish (uncountable)

1. (chiefly Australia, New Zealand, UK) Garbage, junk, refuse, waste.

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

2. 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?

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:trash
• See also Wikisaurus:nonsense

Derived terms

• rubbish bin

Related terms

• rubble

Translations

garbage, junk, refuse, waste

• Armenian: աղբ (hy) (aġb)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 垃圾 (laap6 saap3)

  Mandarin: 垃圾 (cmn) (lājī, lèsè), 破爛 (cmn), 破烂 (cmn) (pòlàn(r)), 廢物 (cmn), 废物 (cmn) (fèiwù)

  Min Nan: 糞埽 (nan), 粪埽 (nan) (pùn-sò)

• Czech: odpadky (cs) m pl
• Dutch: vuilnis (nl) n, afval (nl) n (Belgium)
• Esperanto: rubo (eo)
• Finnish: roskat (fi)
• French: ordures (fr) f pl, déchets (fr) m pl
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: Abfall (de) m, Müll (de) m
• Greek: σκουπίδια (el) (skoupídia) n pl
• Hungarian: szemét (hu)
• Ido: eskombro (io)

• Italian: immondizia (it) f, spazzatura (it) f, rifiuti (it)
• Japanese: ゴミ (ja) (ごみ, gomi), ガラクタ (ja) (がらくた, garakuta), 廃品 (ja) (はいひん, haihin)
• Korean: 쓰레기 (ko) (sseuregi), 오물 (ko) (omul) (汚物 (ko))
• Maori: parahanga (mi)
• Navajo: tsʼiilzéí
• Norwegian: avfall (no) n, søppel (no) n, boss (no) n
• Polish: śmieci (pl) pl
• Russian: хлам (ru) (xlam) m, мусор (ru) (músor) m
• Sardinian:

  Campidanese Sardinian: aliga, bascarámine

  Logudorese Sardinian: ascamìle, aliga, bascarámine

• Scottish Gaelic: sgudal (gd) m
• Slovak: odpad (sk) m
• Spanish: desperdicios (es) m pl
• Thai: ขยะ (th) (khaya)
• Turkish: çöp (tr)

nonsense

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 胡扯 (cmn) (húchě), 瞎掰 (cmn) (xiābāi)

• Czech: nesmysl (cs) m
• Danish: vrøvl (da)
• French: absurdité (fr) f, ineptie (fr) f
• German: Quatsch (de) m, Blödsinn (de) m, Unsinn (de) m.
• Greek: τρίχες (el) (tríches) f pl

• Irish: ráiméis (ga)
• Italian: corbelleria (it) f, cretinata (it) f, assurdità (it) f
• Japanese: くだらないこと (ja) (kudaranai-koto), ばかばかしいこと (ja) (bakabaka-shī-koto)
• Russian: чепуха (ru) (čepuxá) f, ерунда (ru) (jerundá) f
• Scottish Gaelic: sgudal (gd) m

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Mandarin: 垃圾, 废物
• Italian: porcherie f plural

• Korean: 졸작
• Vietnamese: rác rưởi

Verb

rubbish (third-person singular simple present rubbishes, present participle rubbishing, simple past and past participle rubbished)

1. (UK) To denounce, to criticise, to denigrate, to disparage.

Derived terms

• rubbisher

Translations

to denounce, to criticise

• Japanese: こき下ろす (ja) (こきおろす, kokiorosu), 酷評する (ja) (こくひょうする, kokuhyō suru)