discard
gb/dˈɪskɑɹd/ us/dˈɪskɑɹd/
B1
English
~ 5800
kidob, elvet, eldob, eldobott lap, kitaszított, leselejtezett ember, számkivetett
VERB
B1
1
Usage pattern:
to discard [something]
You should discard any food that is past its expiration date.
Minden olyan élelmiszert ki kell dobni, amelynek lejárt a szavatossága.
After years of research, scientists finally discarded the old theory.
Évekig tartó kutatás után a tudósok végül elvetették a régi elméletet.
The company decided to discard its traditional logo and create a new one.
Please discard these documents once you have scanned them.
They encouraged customers to discard single-use plastic bags.
Learner examples
I discarded my old shoes because they were broken.
Kidobtam a régi cipőmet, mert tönkrement.
The teacher told us to discard the first answer and try again.
A tanár azt mondta, hogy vessük el az első választ, és próbáljuk meg újra.
She discarded the idea after she found a better plan.
He discarded the broken plate in the trash.
We discarded many things when we moved to a smaller house.
Common mistake:
Learners often use only 'throw' instead of 'throw away' or 'discard'. Remember that 'discard' usually includes the idea of not wanting or not needing something, and it is more formal than 'throw away'. Also, 'discard' cannot be used without an object; you must discard something.
Meaning
get rid of something unwanted
Collocations
discard waste
|discard the idea
|discard old clothes
|discard evidence
|discard data
|discard packaging
Synonyms
throw away (More informal and mainly used for physical objects, especially rubbish.)
|
get rid of (Very common informal phrase; broader and slightly less formal than 'discard'.)
|
reject (Focuses more on deciding something is not good enough or not acceptable, especially ideas or offers.)
|
dispose of (More formal or technical, especially about waste, chemicals, or legal property.)
Antonyms
keep (To continue to have something instead of getting rid of it.)
|
retain (More formal; to deliberately continue to hold or use something.)
|
adopt (Opposite when talking about ideas or methods: to accept and start using instead of rejecting.)
Themes
daily life
|business
|environment
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To throw something away or stop using it because you do not want it or think it is not good or true.
To get rid of something because it is no longer wanted, useful, or acceptable, whether it is a physical object or an idea.
VERB
B2
2
eldob
B1
Usage pattern:
to discard [a card]
You must discard one card at the end of your turn.
A köröd végén el kell dobnod egy lapot.
She discarded a low heart, saving her high cards for later.
Egy alacsony értékű kőrt dobott el, a magas lapjait pedig későbbre tartogatta.
Players draw two cards and then discard one.
If you cannot play, you have to discard a card face up.
He accidentally discarded the winning card.
Learner examples
In this game, you draw two cards and discard one.
Ebben a játékban húzol két lapot, és eldobsz egyet.
She discarded a card because it was not useful.
Eldobott egy lapot, mert nem volt rá szüksége.
You must discard one card before you finish your turn.
He discarded a red card and kept the blue one.
Put the card you discard in the middle of the table.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse general 'throw away a card' with the specific game action 'discard'. In rules and instructions for card games, 'discard' is the standard term. It usually implies placing the card in a special area, not throwing it in the trash.
Meaning
play or throw away a card
Collocations
discard a card
|discard from your hand
|forced to discard
|choose which card to discard
|discard phase
|discard into the pile
Synonyms
play (General verb in card games, but 'discard' specifically means play a card you are getting rid of without using its main value.)
|
throw away (Describes the physical action, but does not carry the specific card-game meaning by itself.)
Antonyms
draw (In card games, to take a card into your hand, the opposite of discarding one.)
|
keep (To choose not to discard a card and hold it in your hand instead.)
Themes
games
|leisure
|arts_entertainment
Definition
In a card game, to put a card from your hand on the table because you do not want to keep it.
In card games, to play or throw away a card from your hand, usually because it is not useful at that moment.
NOUN
B2
3
eldobott lap
B1
Usage pattern:
a discard from [a place/group]
Place your discard face up in the center of the table.
Tedd az eldobott lapodat képpel felfelé az asztal közepére.
In this game, you can draw either from the deck or from the top discard.
Ebben a játékban vagy a pakliból húzhatsz, vagy a legfelső eldobott lapot veheted fel.
The team picked up a discard from another club and turned him into a star player.
These shoes were factory discards sold at a lower price.
She wore a dress that was a discard from her older sister.
Learner examples
He took the top discard and added it to his hand.
Felvette a legfelső eldobott lapot, és hozzátette a lapjaihoz.
You must put your discard in a separate pile.
Az eldobott lapodat külön kupacba kell tenned.
These old books are library discards.
The coach gave a chance to a discard from another team.
She used a discard piece of wood to make a small table.
Common mistake:
Learners may not recognize 'discard' as a noun and try to say 'a discard thing'. Use it either alone ('a discard') or with another noun ('a factory discard', 'a library discard'), especially in games or when talking about rejected items.
Meaning
thing that has been thrown away
Collocations
place your discard
|pick up the discard
|top discard
|a factory discard
|a discard from another team
Synonyms
reject (Focuses on something not accepted or not chosen; slightly more formal as a noun.)
|
castoff (Often used for old clothes or objects that someone no longer wants.)
Antonyms
keep (As a noun is rare; conceptually the opposite is something 'kept' or 'choice', but 'keep' is usually a verb.)
|
favorite (When choosing between items, the 'favorite' is the preferred one, the opposite of a discard.)
Themes
daily life
|games
|daily_life
|arts_entertainment
Definition
A thing that someone has thrown away or does not want, often a card in a card game.
Something that has been thrown away or rejected because it is no longer wanted or useful, especially a card in a card game.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
4
Usage pattern:
a discard from [a team/company/relationship]
After the breakup, he felt like a discard from her busy life.
A szakítás után úgy érezte, hogy a nő zsúfolt életéből kitaszították.
The coach built a winning team from so-called discards that other clubs no longer wanted.
Az edző más klubok által már nem kívánt, úgynevezett leselejtezett játékosokból épített győztes csapatot.
She refused to be treated as a discard just because she was over forty.
The company’s older workers were made to feel like discards in the rush to bring in new talent.
He was a discard from a big city club, but he became a star in the smaller league.
Learner examples
He felt like a discard after he lost his job.
Miután elvesztette az állását, kitaszítottnak érezte magát.
The new team was made from discards that other teams did not want.
Az új csapat olyan leselejtezett játékosokból állt, akiket a többi csapat nem akart.
She did not want to be a discard in the company.
They treated him like a discard when he got sick.
The coach helped the discards play with confidence again.
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use this sense in very formal writing where 'outcast' or 'rejected person' would be clearer. This use of 'discard' is less common and more stylistic than its basic verb meaning.
Meaning
person who has been rejected
Collocations
feel like a discard
|a discard from the team
|treated as a discard
|emotional discard
Synonyms
outcast (Stronger and more common word for someone rejected by society or a group.)
|
reject (Informal and sometimes harsh; focuses on a person who has been turned down or not accepted.)
Antonyms
favorite (Someone especially liked or preferred, opposite of being thrown away or unwanted.)
|
insider (Someone fully accepted and included in a group, opposite of a rejected person.)
Themes
social
|emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A person that someone or a group does not want anymore, for example in a job, team, or relationship.
A person who has been rejected, cast out, or no longer valued by a group, organization, or partner.
Grammar
Dictionary form
discard
IPA
GB/dˈɪskɑɹd/
US/dˈɪskɑɹd/
Syllables & stress
dis - card (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (dis)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: discard
- Plural: discards
Verb
- Base: discard
- 3rd Person Singular: discards
- Present Participle: discarding
- Past: discarded
Word family
Forms
discards
noun
discarding
verb
discarded
verb
Advanced or less common
discardable
adjective
Expressions
discard pile
1/dɪskˈɑɹd pˈaɪl/
fixed phrase
pile of discarded cards in a game
The place in a card game where players put cards they discard, usually in a face-up pile.
Examples
- Place your card on the discard pile at the end of your turn.
- You can draw from the discard pile or from the main deck.
- The top card of the discard pile decides which suit is in play.