Garbage Meaning
Garbage Definition & Usage
Refuse or waste material, particularly from food, household items, or industrial products, that is discarded after use.
Examples
- "She took out the garbage early this morning."
- "The park was full of garbage after the festival."
- "We need to hire a company to handle the office's garbage disposal."
- "He forgot to put the garbage bins out for collection."
- "The garbage truck arrives every Tuesday at dawn."
Something considered worthless, of poor quality, or nonsensical, such as bad ideas, lies, or irrelevant information.
Examples
- "This movie is pure garbage; it’s the worst one I’ve seen all year."
- "Don't listen to him; his arguments are just garbage."
- "Her claims about the study were dismissed as garbage by the experts."
- "That advertisement is a load of garbage; it’s misleading."
- "Stop talking garbage and get to the point!"
To discard something as useless or undesirable.
Examples
- "They garbaged all the old files to make room for new ones."
- "I can’t believe you garbaged that beautiful piece of artwork."
- "The company garbaged the proposal after receiving negative feedback."
- "She garbaged her old shoes because they were falling apart."
- "I need to garbage these outdated magazines; they’re just taking up space."
Cultural Context
The word 'garbage' has evolved over time. Originally derived from Old French 'garbage', meaning refuse or waste, it has come to describe not only physical refuse but also intangible concepts such as poor-quality ideas or nonsensical statements. In different regions, 'garbage' and 'rubbish' are used interchangeably, with the former being more common in American English and the latter in British English.
The Garbage Debate
Story
The Garbage Debate
One crisp autumn morning, the residents of Maple Street were in the midst of a heated debate about the state of their community. At the corner of the street, beneath a large oak tree, lay piles of discarded boxes, food wrappers, and broken furniture. It was garbage day, and the bins were overflowing with refuse from the previous week. As Carol passed by the scene on her morning walk, she sighed, shaking her head. ‘This street has become a dumping ground,’ she muttered to herself. Her neighbor, Mike, was already at his front door, glaring at the garbage truck as it rumbled past. 'This is ridiculous! They’ve missed our house again,’ he complained. Carol turned and gave him a sympathetic look. ‘I don't think it’s their fault, Mike. We need to be more responsible about putting out the bins on time. If we don’t, it’ll just pile up like garbage!’ As they spoke, their other neighbor, Sandra, came out with a basket of empty cans. ‘It’s not just about garbage collection. People throw all sorts of things on the street. Last night, I found a whole pile of old magazines on my front yard. Who does that?’ Mike grunted. ‘I can’t believe people would just garbage things like that. Those magazines were good for recycling, not just tossing around.’ ‘Exactly,’ Sandra agreed. ‘Sometimes, I think this whole neighborhood is going to hell in a handbasket, just full of garbage ideas. Like that new development proposal—they call it ‘progress,’ but I call it a disaster.’ As they continued chatting, Carol realized how much of their conversation had revolved around garbage, in both its literal and metaphorical senses. From the bins on the curb to the arguments that littered their discussions, the word ‘garbage’ had woven itself into every aspect of their day. Finally, Carol said, 'Maybe it's time for a neighborhood clean-up. If we start with the garbage on the street, maybe we can clean up our act in other areas too.' The conversation shifted then, from complaints about refuse to plans for action. The garbage, both real and metaphorical, was something they could all work together to eliminate.
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