rubble
gb/ɹˈʌbəl/ us/ɹˈʌbəl/
B2
English
törmelék, rom, kőtörmelék, romokban
NOUN
B2
1
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is buried under (the) rubble; clear/remove (the) rubble; sift through (the) rubble
After the earthquake, firefighters searched the rubble for survivors.
A földrengés után a tűzoltók túlélők után kutattak a romok között.
The old warehouse was demolished, leaving a mountain of rubble behind.
A régi raktárt lebontották, és egy hatalmas halom törmelék maradt utána.
Dust rose as bulldozers cleared the rubble from the street.
Learner examples
The building fell and became rubble.
Az épület összedőlt, és romhalmaz lett belőle.
They found him under the rubble.
A romok alatt találták meg.
Common mistake:
Rubble is usually uncountable: say “a pile of rubble” or “a piece of rubble,” not “two rubbles.” Also, it is different from “rubbish” (trash).
Meaning
broken debris from destroyed buildings
Collocations
a pile of rubble
|tons of rubble
|clear the rubble
|remove the rubble
|sift through the rubble
|buried under the rubble
|rubble-strewn streets
|rubble from the earthquake
|trapped in the rubble
|a heap of rubble
Synonyms
debris (More general; can include wood, metal, and other scattered remains.)
|
ruins (Focuses on what is left standing of a destroyed place.)
|
wreckage (Often used for vehicles or accidents, not just buildings.)
Antonyms
intact (Not damaged or broken apart.)
Themes
disasters
|construction
|news
|cities
Definition
broken pieces from a destroyed building
Broken pieces of stone, brick, concrete, and other material left after a building or structure has collapsed or been destroyed.
NOUN
C1
2
kőtörmelék
B2
Usage pattern:
covered with rubble; a slope of rubble; rubble as fill
The trail crossed a steep slope of loose rubble and was hard to climb.
Az ösvény laza kőtörmelékkel borított meredek lejtőn vezetett át, ezért nehéz volt megmászni.
The riverbed was lined with rubble and larger stones.
A folyómedret kőtörmelék és nagyobb kövek borították.
Workers filled the trench with rubble before paving over it.
Learner examples
Be careful on the rubble; it can slip.
Légy óvatos a kőtörmeléken, mert megcsúszhatsz rajta.
Common mistake:
Don’t use “rubble” for everyday trash; that is “rubbish” or “garbage.”
Meaning
loose broken stones or rock fragments
Collocations
a slope of rubble
|rubble and boulders
|loose rubble
|a field of rubble
|rubble underfoot
|rubble-strewn path
|rubble used as fill
Synonyms
scree (Loose stones on the side of a mountain or slope.)
|
gravel (Smaller, more uniform stones; often used for paths and roads.)
Antonyms
bedrock (Solid, unbroken rock beneath the surface.)
Themes
nature
|outdoors
|construction
Definition
small broken stones on the ground
Loose broken stones or fragments of rock, especially scattered on the ground or used as rough fill.
NOUN
C1
3
Usage pattern:
the rubble of [something]
In the rubble of the scandal, the company tried to rebuild trust.
A botrány romjai között a vállalat megpróbálta újjáépíteni a bizalmat.
After the argument, their friendship felt like rubble.
A veszekedés után úgy érezték, a barátságuk romokban hever.
He looked back at the rubble of his original plan and started again.
Learner examples
The project was in rubble after the budget cuts.
A projekt romokban volt a költségvetési megszorítások után.
Common mistake:
This figurative use is usually in set patterns like “the rubble of his career,” and is less common than the literal meaning.
Meaning
the ruined remains of something
Collocations
the rubble of a career
|the rubble of a relationship
|left in rubble
|amid the rubble of
Synonyms
remains (More neutral; does not strongly suggest violent destruction.)
|
shambles (Emphasizes disorder and failure rather than physical debris.)
Antonyms
recovery (A return to a good state after damage or failure.)
Themes
figurative_language
|relationships
|business
Definition
what is left after something is ruined
The damaged or destroyed remains of something (such as a plan, reputation, or relationship), used figuratively.
Grammar
Dictionary form
rubble
IPA
GB/ɹˈʌbəl/
US/ɹˈʌbəl/
Syllables & stress
rubble (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (rubble)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: rubble
- Plural: rubble
Expressions
buried under the rubble
1/bˈɛɹid ˈʌndɚ ðə ɹˈʌbəl/
fixed phrase
trapped under fallen debris
stuck under broken building pieces
Examples
- Rescuers feared more people were buried under the rubble.
- He was buried under the rubble for six hours before being found.
- Dogs were brought in to detect anyone buried under the rubble.
Learner examples
- The man was buried under the rubble.
clear (away) the rubble
1/klˈɪɹ əwˈeɪ ðə ɹˈʌbəl/
fixed phrase
remove debris after destruction
to remove broken building pieces
Examples
- It took crews three days to clear the rubble from the road.
- They cleared away the rubble so rebuilding could begin.
- Heavy machinery was brought in to clear the rubble safely.
Learner examples
- Workers cleared the rubble from the street.
lie in rubble
1/lˈaɪ ˈɪn ɹˈʌbəl/
fixed phrase
be destroyed and collapsed
to be destroyed so that only broken pieces remain
Examples
- After the fire, the historic theater lay in rubble.
- By morning, several blocks of the city were lying in rubble.
- The bridge lay in rubble after the storm.
Learner examples
- The old house lay in rubble after the hurricane.
reduce [something] to rubble
1/ɹɪdˈus sˈʌmθɪŋ tə ɹˈʌbəl/
fixed phrase
destroy completely into debris
to destroy a building completely
Examples
- The blast reduced the factory to rubble in seconds.
- Several homes were reduced to rubble by the landslide.
- Years of fighting reduced the neighborhood to rubble.
Learner examples
- The earthquake reduced many houses to rubble.
sift through the rubble
1/sˈɪft θɹˈu ðə ɹˈʌbəl/
fixed phrase
search carefully among debris
to look carefully in broken pieces
Examples
- Volunteers sifted through the rubble for photos and documents.
- Investigators sifted through the rubble to determine the cause of the collapse.
- She sifted through the rubble hoping to find her grandmother’s ring.
Learner examples
- They sifted through the rubble for survivors.