scrub
gb/skɹˈʌb/ us/skɹˈʌb/
B1
English
~ 9300
súrol, sikál, súrolás, bőrradír, lefúj, töröl, műtősruha, egészségügyi munkaruha, bozótos, cserjés, lúzer, beleteker, végigteker, eltávolít, anonimizál
VERB
B1
1
Usage pattern:
to scrub [something]
She scrubbed the kitchen floor until it shone.
Addig súrolta a konyhapadlót, amíg csillogni nem kezdett.
You need to scrub your hands for at least twenty seconds with soap.
Legalább húsz másodpercig kell szappannal alaposan dörzsölnöd a kezed.
He scrubbed the mud off his boots before coming inside.
The cleaners scrubbed the graffiti off the wall.
I had to scrub the pan for ten minutes to get the rice off.
Learner examples
Please scrub the table before we eat.
Kérlek, súrold le az asztalt, mielőtt eszünk.
I scrub my hands before I cook dinner.
Mielőtt vacsorát főzök, szappannal alaposan megdörzsölve megmosom a kezem.
He scrubbed the dirty shoes in the sink.
We scrubbed the bathtub on Saturday.
She scrubbed the mark from the wall.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "wash" when "scrub" is better. "Wash" can be gentle, but "scrub" means rubbing hard, often to remove something difficult like dirt or stains. Learners may also add an unnecessary preposition, saying *"scrub on the floor"* instead of "scrub the floor."
Meaning
rub hard to clean something
Collocations
scrub the floor
|scrub the pan
|scrub your hands
|scrub the stain
|scrub the bathtub
|scrub it clean
Synonyms
scour (often suggests very hard scrubbing to remove something tough, like burned food or rust)
|
clean (more general; does not always suggest hard rubbing)
|
scrape (focuses on using something hard or sharp to remove material, not necessarily making it fully clean)
Antonyms
dirty (to make something not clean, often by adding soil, food, or another substance)
|
stain (to mark something so that it becomes hard to clean)
Themes
daily life
|home
|hygiene
|daily_life
|housing
|core_vocabulary
Definition
to clean something by rubbing it hard, usually with water and soap
To clean something by rubbing it hard with a brush, cloth, or similar tool, usually using water and soap or another cleaner.
NOUN
B1
2
súrolás
B1
Usage pattern:
give [something] a (good) scrub
The floor just needs a good scrub and it will be fine.
A padlónak csak egy alapos súrolásra van szüksége, és rendben lesz.
After a hot day of hiking, he took a shower and gave himself a thorough scrub.
Egy forró túranap után lezuhanyozott, és alaposan átdörzsölte magát.
These pans are old, but with a bit of scrub they still come up shiny.
Give the sink a quick scrub before the guests arrive.
My hands feel better after a wash and a scrub.
Learner examples
The car needs a good scrub.
Az autónak ráférne egy alapos súrolás.
Give your shoes a scrub before you come in.
Súrold át a cipődet, mielőtt bejössz.
He took a shower and had a long scrub.
This table will look good after a quick scrub.
I gave the bathtub a scrub yesterday.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes treat "scrub" only as a verb and say *"I did a scrub the floor"* instead of "I gave the floor a scrub" or "I scrubbed the floor." Remember: as a noun, it often appears in phrases like "a good scrub" or "give it a scrub."
Meaning
act of cleaning by hard rubbing
Collocations
a good scrub
|a quick scrub
|give it a scrub
|needs a scrub
|have a scrub
Synonyms
scouring (emphasizes very strong scrubbing, often for metal pots or tough dirt)
|
cleaning (more general; not always about hard rubbing)
Antonyms
dirtying (the act of making something not clean)
Themes
daily life
|home
|hygiene
|daily_life
|housing
|core_vocabulary
Definition
a time when you clean something by rubbing it hard
An act of cleaning something by rubbing it hard, usually with water and soap or another cleaner.
NOUN
B2
3
bőrradír
B2
Usage pattern:
a [body/face] scrub
I use a gentle face scrub twice a week.
Hetente kétszer kímélő arcradírt használok.
This body scrub contains sea salt and essential oils.
Ez a testradír tengeri sót és illóolajokat tartalmaz.
The beauty blogger recommended a coffee scrub for smoother skin.
Be careful not to use a harsh scrub on sensitive skin.
He bought a foot scrub to remove the hard skin on his heels.
Learner examples
She bought a new face scrub at the store.
Új arcradírt vett a boltban.
I use a body scrub in the shower.
Testradírt használok a zuhany alatt.
This scrub makes my skin feel very soft.
Do not use a scrub near your eyes.
He likes a coffee scrub for his hands.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse "scrub" (a product) with "scrub" (the action). A product is usually countable ("a scrub," "two scrubs"), while the action is usually uncountable ("give it a scrub," not *"give it two scrubs"* in normal speech). Also, in product names, "scrub" is often part of a longer phrase like "face scrub" or "body scrub."
Meaning
cosmetic product with grains for skin
Collocations
face scrub
|body scrub
|exfoliating scrub
|salt scrub
|sugar scrub
|gentle scrub
Synonyms
exfoliant (a more technical or label-style word; not always limited to scrub-type products)
Antonyms
moisturizer (a skin-care product that adds moisture rather than rubbing off dead skin)
Themes
hygiene
|appearance
|health
|body
|daily_life
Definition
a skin-care cream or gel with small hard pieces that you rub on your skin to clean it and remove dead skin
A cosmetic or skin-care product that contains small rough particles and is used to clean and remove dead skin from the face or body.
VERB
B2
4
Usage pattern:
to scrub [a plan/an event]
Because of the storm, they scrubbed the mission just minutes before liftoff.
A vihar miatt alig néhány perccel a kilövés előtt lefújták a küldetést.
The company scrubbed the project after the budget was cut.
A cég lefújta a projektet, miután megvágták a költségvetést.
Let’s scrub that idea and think of something simpler.
They decided to scrub the meeting and send an email update instead.
Production was scrubbed when the main investor pulled out.
Learner examples
They scrubbed the game because of heavy rain.
A heves eső miatt lefújták a meccset.
We scrubbed our trip when the flight was too expensive.
Lefújtuk az utazásunkat, amikor kiderült, hogy túl drága a repülőjegy.
The team scrubbed the plan after the boss said no.
Let’s scrub that idea and try another one.
The event was scrubbed at the last minute.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this sense with physical cleaning and think it always involves rubbing. In sentences like "They scrubbed the launch," it means "canceled the launch," not physically cleaning anything. This use is especially common in news about space launches, projects, or plans.
Meaning
cancel a plan or event
Collocations
scrub the mission
|scrub the launch
|scrub the project
|scrub the plan
|scrub the whole thing
Synonyms
cancel (most direct neutral equivalent in many contexts)
|
call off (phrasal verb, slightly more informal; often used for meetings or events)
|
drop (suggests deciding not to continue with an idea or plan, often more informal)
Antonyms
proceed (to continue with a planned action or event instead of stopping it)
|
confirm (to say that an event or plan will definitely happen)
Themes
work
|communication
|daily_life
Definition
to cancel a plan, event, or idea and decide not to do it
To cancel or stop a planned action, event, or project, often suddenly or completely.
NOUN
B2
TECHNICAL
5
Usage pattern:
wear [medical] scrubs
The nurses in the ward all wear light blue scrubs.
Az osztályon az ápolók mind világoskék egészségügyi munkaruhát viselnek.
He changed into fresh scrubs before entering the operating room.
Friss műtősruhába öltözött, mielőtt belépett a műtőbe.
The show is famous for its doctors in green scrubs.
Hospital policy says you cannot wear your scrubs outside the building.
She forgot her scrubs and had to borrow a set from a colleague.
Learner examples
The doctor put on green scrubs before surgery.
Az orvos zöld műtősruhát vett fel a műtét előtt.
All the nurses wear the same scrubs.
Minden ápoló ugyanolyan egészségügyi munkaruhát visel.
He keeps extra scrubs in his locker.
She washed her scrubs after her shift.
Students must wear scrubs in the lab.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "scrubs" is singular, but it is almost always used in the plural ("a pair of scrubs," "his scrubs"). As a clothing term it behaves like "jeans" or "shorts."
Meaning
loose medical work clothes
Collocations
wear scrubs
|change into scrubs
|green scrubs
|blue scrubs
|hospital scrubs
|surgical scrubs
Synonyms
surgical clothes (a descriptive phrase; less standard as a fixed term than "scrubs")
Antonyms
street clothes (ordinary everyday clothing worn outside medical or work settings)
Themes
medicine
|clothing
|health
|work
Definition
simple shirt and pants that doctors and nurses wear in hospitals, especially for surgery
Loose, lightweight clothing, usually a short-sleeved top and drawstring trousers, worn by medical staff in hospitals and clinics, especially in operating rooms.
NOUN
B2
6
Usage pattern:
the scrub
The fire spread quickly through the dry scrub.
A tűz gyorsan továbbterjedt a száraz bozótosban.
We walked for hours across open scrub and rocky hills.
Órákon át gyalogoltunk nyílt bozótoson és sziklás dombokon át.
Many animals hide in the scrub during the heat of the day.
The house is surrounded by thick scrub and eucalyptus trees.
They cleared the scrub to make space for a small farm.
Learner examples
The road goes through dry scrub.
Az út száraz bozótoson halad át.
We saw many birds in the scrub.
Sok madarat láttunk a bozótosban.
There is only scrub, not big trees, in this area.
The fire burned the scrub near the town.
Kangaroos live in the scrub.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse "scrub" with "shrub" because they sound similar. "Shrub" is an individual small bush, while "scrub" usually refers to an area of land covered with many low plants.
Meaning
area of low bushes and trees
Collocations
the scrub
|scrub land
|dry scrub
|coastal scrub
|thick scrub
|scrub vegetation
Synonyms
shrubland (more technical or ecological term for land with many shrubs)
|
bush (in some regional English (e.g., Australian), used similarly for wild land with low vegetation)
Antonyms
forest (an area covered mainly with tall trees, not low scrub)
|
grassland (land covered mainly with grasses, not bushes or small trees)
Themes
nature
|geography
Definition
land with many low bushes and small trees, not a thick forest
Land covered with low-growing bushes, small trees, and rough grasses, rather than tall forest or farmland.
NOUN
C1
SLANG
7
lúzer
B2
Usage pattern:
a scrub
He talked like a star, but on the court he played like a scrub.
Úgy beszélt, mint egy sztár, de a pályán úgy játszott, mint egy lúzer.
I’m not dating any scrubs who still live in their parents’ basement.
Nem randizom olyan lúzerekkel, akik még mindig a szüleik pincéjében laknak.
The team started a couple of scrubs in the final minutes of the game.
He used to be seen as a scrub until he finally proved himself.
She said she’s done with scrubs and wants someone with real goals.
Learner examples
They called him a scrub because he was bad at the game.
Azért nevezték lúzernek, mert rosszul játszott.
She says she does not date scrubs.
Azt mondja, nem randizik lúzerekkel.
At first, the coach thought I was a scrub.
He feels like a scrub next to his rich friends.
The star players rested, and the scrubs played.
Common mistake:
Learners may misunderstand this slang from songs or games and think it is neutral. In most situations, calling someone a "scrub" is clearly insulting. It is safer not to use it about real people unless you fully understand the tone and context.
Meaning
person seen as low-status or unskilled
Collocations
a total scrub
|some scrub on the bench
|he’s just a scrub
|no scrubs
|bench scrub
Synonyms
loser (very similar insult; common in everyday speech)
|
nobody (emphasizes being unimportant rather than unskilled)
Antonyms
star (someone very successful or skilled, especially in sports or entertainment)
|
pro (short for "professional"; stresses high skill and status)
Themes
people
|insults
|relationships
|emotions
|communication
Definition
an insulting word for someone people think is not good enough, weak, or not worth respect
A person who is considered unskilled, unsuccessful, or not desirable, especially in sports or dating contexts.
VERB
C1
TECHNICAL
8
beleteker
B1
végigteker
B2
Usage pattern:
to scrub through [a video/audio file]
Scrub through the footage until you find the scene with the car.
Tekerd végig a felvételt, amíg meg nem találod az autós jelenetet.
I quickly scrubbed back to replay the last few seconds.
Gyorsan visszatekertem, hogy újra lejátszam az utolsó néhány másodpercet.
You can scrub along the timeline to check the audio levels.
The editor scrubbed through the clip frame by frame to find the exact cut point.
She scrubbed through the recording to skip the long introduction.
Learner examples
Scrub through the video to the middle.
Tekerd előre a videót a közepéig.
I scrubbed back to watch that part again.
Visszatekertem, hogy újra megnézzem azt a részt.
You can scrub along the bar to find the song’s chorus.
He scrubbed through the file to the end.
Scrub forward to the next scene.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with the cleaning meaning and think it has something to do with making the file cleaner. In tech and video-editing contexts, "scrub" is only about moving quickly through the audio or video timeline.
Meaning
move through audio or video timeline
Collocations
scrub through the timeline
|scrub back
|scrub forward
|scrub through the footage
|scrub frame by frame
Synonyms
seek (technical term in media players for jumping to a point in a file, often less colloquial)
Antonyms
play continuously (to let the audio or video run in order without jumping around)
Themes
technology
|media
|arts_entertainment
Definition
to move quickly through a video or sound file, usually by moving a bar on the screen, so you can find the part you want
To move quickly back and forth through an audio or video recording, usually by dragging a slider or cursor, in order to find a specific point.
VERB
C1
TECHNICAL
9
eltávolít
B1
anonimizál
C1
Usage pattern:
to scrub [data/information] from [a record/database]
The company scrubbed all personal data from the training set.
A vállalat minden személyes adatot eltávolított a tanítóadat-halmazból.
Before publishing the report, they scrubbed any identifying information from the files.
A jelentés közzététele előtt minden azonosításra alkalmas információt eltávolítottak a fájlokból.
Logs are automatically scrubbed after thirty days to protect user privacy.
He asked the moderator to scrub his name from the forum post.
The team scrubbed outdated entries from the database.
Learner examples
They scrubbed my email address from the list.
Eltávolították az e-mail-címemet a listáról.
The website scrubbed old user data.
A weboldal törölte a régi felhasználói adatokat.
Please scrub my name from your records.
The company scrubbed some details from the report.
We must scrub all personal information before sharing the file.
Common mistake:
Learners can confuse this use of "scrub" with simply editing or changing information. Here it specifically means removing certain data, often for privacy, security, or legal reasons. It is common in business and IT contexts.
Meaning
remove or erase data from records
Collocations
scrub the data
|scrub personal details
|scrub the logs
|scrub the records
|scrub identifying information
Synonyms
erase (general word for removing information, not limited to sensitive data)
|
redact (more formal; often means editing a document so that some parts are blacked out or hidden)
|
purge (often used for completely removing data from a system, sometimes permanently)
Antonyms
store (to keep information in a system instead of removing it)
|
retain (formal term for keeping data instead of deleting or scrubbing it)
Themes
technology
|business
|law
Definition
to take out or erase some information from a document or computer file, often to protect privacy
To remove or erase particular information, especially personal or sensitive data, from documents, databases, or online records.
Grammar
Dictionary form
scrub
IPA
GB/skɹˈʌb/
US/skɹˈʌb/
Syllables & stress
scrub (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (scrub)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: scrub
- Plural: scrub
Verb
- Base: scrub
- 3rd Person Singular: scrubs
- Present Participle: scrubbing
- Past: scrubbed
Word family
Forms
scrubs
verb
scrubbing
verb
scrubbed
verb
Core family
scrubber
noun
Related words
scrubby
adjective
Advanced or less common
scrubland
noun
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: scrubbing Verb
- Irregular past: scrubbed Verb
Expressions
give it a scrub
1/ɡˈɪv ˈɪt ə skɹˈʌb/
fixed phrase
clean something by scrubbing it
to clean something by rubbing it hard, usually for a short time, to remove dirt or marks
Examples
- Just give it a scrub and it will be fine.
- If the stain doesn’t come out, give the shirt another scrub.
- Before you use the pan, give it a quick scrub.
no scrubs
1/nˈoʊ skɹˈʌbz/
fixed phrase
slang
not wanting low-status or unambitious men
used especially by women to say they do not want to date men who have no money, no goals, or who take from others without giving anything back
Examples
- She says she has a strict ‘no scrubs’ rule when it comes to dating.
- The phrase "no scrubs" became popular after the 1990s R&B song.
- On social media, some people joke about having a "no scrubs" policy.
scrub down
1/skɹˈʌb dˈaʊn/
phrasal verb
clean all over by scrubbing
to clean all of something, especially a large surface like a wall, floor, or car, by rubbing it hard with water and soap
Examples
- We scrubbed down the kitchen after the party.
- The workers scrubbed down the equipment at the end of the shift.
- He scrubbed down the car to remove all the road salt.
scrub in
1/skɹˈʌb ˈɪn/
phrasal verb
technical
prepare for surgery by washing and dressing
for doctors and nurses, to wash their hands and arms very carefully and put on special clean clothes before an operation
Examples
- The surgeon scrubbed in while the patient was being prepped.
- Medical students watched as the senior doctors scrubbed in for the procedure.
- You must scrub in every time you enter the operating room.
scrub off
1/skɹˈʌb ˈɔf/
phrasal verb
remove dirt by scrubbing
to remove dirt, paint, or a mark from something by rubbing it hard with water and soap or another cleaner
Examples
- I finally scrubbed off the sticker residue from the glass.
- Try to scrub off that marker from the table.
- She scrubbed the mud off her boots before going inside.
scrub out
1/skɹˈʌb ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
technical
finish and leave a sterile surgery area
for doctors and nurses, to leave an operation and take off the special clean clothes and gloves they used in surgery
Examples
- The resident scrubbed out after assisting with the operation.
- Once the main part of the surgery was over, some of the team scrubbed out.
- He scrubbed out early to prepare for the next case.
scrub up
1/skɹˈʌb ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
wash yourself thoroughly
to wash your hands, face, or body very well, often before cooking, eating, or doing medical work
Examples
- Go and scrub up before dinner, your hands are filthy.
- The surgeons scrubbed up before entering the operating room.
- Kids, scrub up properly after playing in the mud.
scrub up well
1/skɹˈʌb ˈʌp wˈɛl/
idiom
informal
look surprisingly good when dressed up
to look very nice and attractive when you are clean and wearing good clothes, especially nicer than people expected
Examples
- You scrub up well in a suit.
- She really scrubs up well for special occasions.
- He may dress casually most days, but he scrubs up well when he wants to.