rubbish
gb/ɹˈʌbɪʃ/ us/ɹˈʌbɪʃ/
B1
English
~ 7900
szemét, hülyeség, ostobaság, lesöpör, lehúz, pocsék, ugyan már
NOUN
B1
1
szemét
A2
Usage pattern:
to throw [rubbish] [somewhere]
Please take the rubbish out before you go to bed.
Vidd ki a szemetet, mielőtt lefekszel.
The street was covered in rubbish after the festival.
A fesztivál után szemét borította az utcát.
Put your rubbish in the bin, not on the ground.
The council only collects household rubbish once a week.
We picked up bags of rubbish from the beach.
Learner examples
I forgot to put the rubbish outside.
Elfelejtettem kitenni a szemetet.
There is a lot of rubbish in the park.
Sok szemét van a parkban.
He threw the apple core in the rubbish bin.
We put all the old boxes in the rubbish.
She carries a bag for her dog's rubbish.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'rubbish' is used in American English in the same way as 'trash' or 'garbage'. In American English, 'trash' and 'garbage' are much more common; 'rubbish' sounds more British or more formal/old-fashioned in the US.
Meaning
garbage or household waste
Collocations
throw away rubbish
|rubbish bin
|rubbish collection
|bag of rubbish
|clear up the rubbish
|rubbish dump
Synonyms
garbage (More common in North American English; otherwise the same meaning.)
|
trash (Very common in American English for household waste.)
Antonyms
recycling (Material kept to be processed and used again, not simply thrown away as waste.)
|
belongings (Personal things that people want to keep, not throw away.)
Themes
daily life
|environment
|daily_life
|housing
Definition
Things you do not want and throw away, like old food, paper, or broken things, especially in British English.
Unwanted waste material, such as used packaging, food scraps, or broken objects, that people throw away, especially in British English.
NOUN
B2
2
Usage pattern:
[something] is (a load of) rubbish
What he said about vaccines was total rubbish.
Amit az oltásokról mondott, az teljes hülyeség volt.
I don't believe that rubbish you read online.
Nem hiszem el azt a sok hülyeséget, amit az interneten olvastál.
The article is full of political rubbish.
She thinks astrology is rubbish.
Stop talking rubbish and listen for a minute.
Learner examples
This story is rubbish. It is not true.
Ez a történet hülyeség. Nem igaz.
He talks rubbish when he is angry.
Amikor dühös, hülyeségeket beszél.
I think that idea is rubbish.
The website is full of rubbish information.
Don't listen to that rubbish on social media.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse the physical-waste meaning with the 'nonsense' meaning and try to use them in the same situations. For example, '*I threw his rubbish idea in the bin*' sounds odd; better is 'His idea is rubbish' or 'I rejected his idea.'
Meaning
nonsense or worthless ideas
Collocations
talk rubbish
|complete rubbish
|a load of rubbish
|utter rubbish
|believe that rubbish
|read such rubbish
Synonyms
nonsense (Very close in meaning and register; often a bit more formal or neutral than 'rubbish'.)
|
garbage (In informal American English, can also mean 'nonsense', especially for opinions or content.)
Antonyms
truth (Refers to statements that are correct and factual, the opposite of false or nonsensical talk.)
|
sense (As in 'make sense'; language or ideas that are logical and reasonable.)
Themes
communication
|opinions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Words or ideas that are not true, not sensible, or very bad and not useful.
Speech, writing, or ideas that are considered nonsense, not true, or of no value.
VERB
C1
3
Usage pattern:
to rubbish [an idea/claim/plan]
The minister rubbished claims that the policy had failed.
A miniszter lesöpörte azokat az állításokat, amelyek szerint kudarcot vallott az intézkedéscsomag.
Critics initially rubbished the film, but audiences loved it.
A kritikusok eleinte lehúzták a filmet, de a közönség imádta.
Her research was rubbished by some senior academics.
The company rubbished reports of a data breach.
He rubbished the idea as completely unrealistic.
Learner examples
The coach rubbished the report in the newspaper.
Az edző lesöpörte az újságban megjelent beszámolót.
Some people rubbished his new book.
Néhányan lehúzták az új könyvét.
The company rubbished the story on social media.
Her boss rubbished her plan for the project.
The scientist rubbished the theory in his talk.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes treat 'rubbish' as a verb in American English, where this use is rare and sounds very British. In American English, verbs like 'trash', 'slam', or 'attack' are more natural in this sense.
Meaning
to strongly dismiss something
Collocations
rubbish a report
|rubbish the claims
|rubbish an idea
|rubbish the suggestion
|rubbish the allegations
|completely rubbish something
Synonyms
dismiss (Often more neutral and formal; does not always imply such strong criticism.)
|
slam (Informal; emphasizes strong and often public criticism, similar in tone but slightly more emotional.)
Antonyms
praise (To say good things about something; the opposite of criticizing it as rubbish.)
|
endorse (To publicly support or approve something, not reject it.)
Themes
communication
|politics
|work
Definition
To say in a strong way that something is very bad, not true, or not worth thinking about.
To strongly criticize or reject an idea, claim, or piece of work by saying it is very bad, false, or not important.
B2
INFORMAL
4
pocsék
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] is rubbish at [doing something]
The coffee here is rubbish, let's go somewhere else.
Itt pocsék a kávé, menjünk máshova.
I'm rubbish at remembering names.
Pocsékul emlékszem a nevekre.
Their customer service was absolutely rubbish.
He says the book is good, but I thought it was rubbish.
She's not rubbish at maths; she just lacks confidence.
Learner examples
This phone is rubbish. It breaks all the time.
Ez a telefon pocsék. Állandóan elromlik.
I'm rubbish at singing.
Pocsékul énekelek.
The Wi‑Fi in this hotel is rubbish.
He's rubbish at driving in the city.
The food was rubbish, so we didn't go back.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes overuse this informal adjective in very formal writing or exams. In formal contexts, it is better to use words like 'poor', 'unsatisfactory', or 'of low quality' instead of 'rubbish'.
Meaning
very bad or not good at something
Collocations
a rubbish film
|rubbish service
|rubbish job
|rubbish at maths
|rubbish at cooking
|really rubbish
Synonyms
terrible (Very similar meaning but more widely used across dialects and slightly less slangy.)
|
useless (Often stronger and more negative about a person’s ability than 'rubbish'.)
Antonyms
excellent (Describes very high quality or ability, the opposite of 'rubbish'.)
|
brilliant (Informal British English for very good, contrasting with informal 'rubbish'.)
Themes
opinions
|abilities
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Very bad, or not good at something.
Very bad in quality, or very poor at doing a particular activity, especially in British informal English.
B2
INFORMAL
5
Rubbish! You know that's not what happened.
Hülyeség! Tudod, hogy nem ez történt.
Oh, rubbish, you could easily do it if you tried.
Ugyan már, könnyedén meg tudnád csinálni, ha megpróbálnád.
That's rubbish, and you know it.
Rubbish, he said, waving his hand dismissively.
Rubbish! I never said anything like that.
Learner examples
Rubbish! I don't believe you.
Hülyeség! Nem hiszek neked.
She said, "Rubbish," when she heard the story.
Amikor meghallotta a történetet, azt mondta: „Hülyeség.”
"That's rubbish," he told his friend.
Rubbish! It was not my fault.
"Oh, rubbish," my dad said when he read the news.
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use this exclamation in polite or formal situations, where it can sound rude or too direct. In polite contexts, it is better to say, 'I don't think that's correct,' or 'I'm not sure that's true.'
Meaning
exclamation meaning 'nonsense!'
Collocations
Rubbish, he shouted.
|Oh, rubbish!
|That's rubbish, you know.
Synonyms
nonsense (Often used in the same way as an exclamation, slightly more formal or old-fashioned.)
|
bullshit (A vulgar term with a similar meaning but much stronger and offensive.)
Antonyms
exactly (Used to show strong agreement, the opposite move in a conversation.)
|
right (As an exclamation to agree, opposite to rejecting what was said.)
Themes
communication
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
You say this when you think what someone said is not true or very stupid.
Used as an exclamation to say that you strongly disagree with something and think it is false, foolish, or not worth considering.
Grammar
Dictionary form
rubbish
IPA
GB/ɹˈʌbɪʃ/
US/ɹˈʌbɪʃ/
Syllables & stress
rub - bish (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (rub)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: rubbish
- Plural: rubbish
Word family
Related words
rubbishy
adjective
Expressions
a load of rubbish
1/ə lˈoʊd əv ɹˈʌbɪʃ/
fixed phrase
informal
a lot of nonsense
Used to say that something (like a story or idea) is completely not true or very stupid.
Examples
- That conspiracy theory is a load of rubbish.
- What he said about you is just a load of rubbish.
- Most of the comments on that post are a load of rubbish.
be rubbish at
1/bˈi ɹˈʌbɪʃ ˈæt/
fixed phrase
informal
be very bad at something
To be very bad at doing something.
Examples
- I'm rubbish at dancing.
- She's rubbish at saving money.
- He's rubbish at replying to messages on time.
clear up the rubbish
1/klˈɪɹ ˈʌp ðə ɹˈʌbɪʃ/
fixed phrase
remove rubbish from an area
To pick up and take away rubbish from a place.
Examples
- We stayed after the party to clear up the rubbish.
- Volunteers spent the morning clearing up the rubbish on the beach.
- Please clear up the rubbish before you leave the classroom.
rubbish bin
1/ɹˈʌbɪʃ bˈɪn/
fixed phrase
container for waste
A container where you put rubbish before it is taken away.
Examples
- Please put your empty bottles in the rubbish bin.
- There isn't a rubbish bin nearby, so I'll carry this with me.
- The park's rubbish bins are emptied every morning.
rubbish dump
1/ɹˈʌbɪʃ dˈʌmp/
fixed phrase
open area for rubbish
An area of land where a lot of rubbish is put and left.
Examples
- The village is next to an old rubbish dump.
- Children were seen playing on the rubbish dump.
- The smell from the rubbish dump is terrible in summer.
rubbish idea
1/ɹˈʌbɪʃ aɪdˈiə/
fixed phrase
informal
very bad idea
An idea that someone thinks is very bad or stupid.
Examples
- I thought it was a rubbish idea from the start.
- That's a rubbish idea; it'll never work.
- He keeps coming up with rubbish ideas for the project.
rubbish service
1/ɹˈʌbɪʃ sˈɚvɪs/
fixed phrase
informal
very poor service
Service that is very slow, rude, or not good.
Examples
- We had rubbish service at the restaurant last night.
- For such high prices, the hotel gives rubbish service.
- Customers keep complaining about the rubbish service.
rubbish tip
1/ɹˈʌbɪʃ tˈɪp/
fixed phrase
place where rubbish is dumped
A place where people take large rubbish, like old furniture or garden waste, to leave it.
Examples
- We took the broken wardrobe to the rubbish tip.
- The local rubbish tip is only open at weekends.
- He works at the council rubbish tip outside town.
talk rubbish
1/tˈɔk ɹˈʌbɪʃ/
fixed phrase
informal
say silly or false things
To say things that are not true, not sensible, or very silly.
Examples
- He talks rubbish when he's had too much to drink.
- Stop talking rubbish and answer the question properly.
- People online talk so much rubbish about health.
utter rubbish
1/ˈʌtɚ ɹˈʌbɪʃ/
fixed phrase
informal
complete nonsense
Used to say something is 100% nonsense or very, very bad.
Examples
- His explanation was utter rubbish.
- She dismissed the rumours as utter rubbish.
- The report is utter rubbish from start to finish.