What it means
A proper everyday put-down for something bad, useless, disappointing, or just plain nonsense. You can mean literal rubbish in the bin, but just as often it's for a terrible opinion, a dodgy result, a weak excuse, or anything that's gone a bit wrong. It works on its own or after absolute, and in British English it does loads of work without sounding too sweary.
Usage examples
"These trainers lasted a week before the sole fell off. Absolute rubbish. I'm taking them back to Sports Direct and kicking off at the till."
"These predictions are absolute rubbish, the forecast said sunny and I have been soaked since I left the house in shorts and sandals this morning."
"Mate, that VAR call was rubbish, the lad never touched him and the whole stand can see it from row Z with the naked eye."
"That film was rubbish, man. Two hours of noise and not one bit I'd watch again."
"I asked him why he was late and he came out with some rubbish about the bus being haunted."
Voice comments
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Where it comes from
Recorded in English since the 15th century, rubbish first meant waste, debris, or broken leftover material, especially from building work. The exact root isn't fully settled, but the sense stayed tied to thrown-out stuff. From there it slid naturally into a blunt everyday put-down for anything useless, poor, or just a load of nonsense.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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