Standard Lemma guide

discard

noun · verb · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈdɪskɑːd/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ˈdɪskɑɹd/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • UK: /dɪsˈkɑːd/
  • UK: /dɪˈskɑːd/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /dɪsˈkɑɹd/
  • US: /dɪˈskɑɹd/
  • rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)d
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S K AA1 R D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Anything discarded.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

One or more discarded playing cards in a card game.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The act of discarding.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A temporary variable used to receive a value of no importance and unable to be read later.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, programming, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To throw away, to reject.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cast aside, cast away, dismiss, jettison, dispose of, eliminate, get rid of, throw aside, throw away, throw down, junk, 86, bin, can, cast off, chuck, chuck away, chuck out, discard, ditch, dump, pitch, scrap, shift, throw out, toss, trash

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To make a discard; to throw out a card.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Topics: card-games, games

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To dismiss from employment, confidence, or favour; to discharge.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fire, let go, sack, axe, can, decruit, dehire, discard, remove, discharge, dismiss, downsize, give the axe, give someone the boot, give someone their cards, give the chop, give the elbow, give someone the heave-ho, give someone the old heave-ho, lay off, let someone go, make redundant, pink slip, promote to customer, retrench, serve notice, shit-can, term, terminate, throw out, unhire

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

getting rid something that is regarded as useless or undesirable

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: throwing away

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: abandonment

Narrower terms: staging

9

noun

Meaning 9

(cards) the act of throwing out a useless card or of failing to follow suit

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: abandonment

10

noun

Meaning 10

anything that is cast aside or discarded

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: object, physical object

11

verb

Meaning 11

throw or cast away

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Put away your worries

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fling, toss, toss out, toss away, chuck out, cast aside, dispose, throw out, cast out, throw away, cast away, put away

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: get rid of, remove

Narrower terms: unlearn, deep-six, give it the deep six, jettison, trash, junk, scrap, waste, dump, retire, abandon, sell out, sell up, liquidize, de-access, close out

History

Etymology

From dis- + card. Compare Spanish descartar.

Across languages

Translations

102 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: захвърляне (zahvǎrljane) — anything discarded
  • Bulgarian: изоставяне (izostavjane) — anything discarded
  • Danish: kassation — anything discarded
  • Finnish: hylky — anything discarded
  • Finnish: hylkytavara — anything discarded
  • Finnish: jäte — anything discarded
  • Galician: refugo — anything discarded
  • Galician: refugallo — anything discarded
  • Japanese: 廃棄物 (haikibutsu) — anything discarded
  • Macedonian: фр́лање (fŕlanje) — anything discarded
  • Macedonian: отфр́лање (otfŕlanje) — anything discarded
  • Macedonian: испу́штање (ispúštanje) — anything discarded
  • Russian: отхо́ды (otxódy) — anything discarded
  • Telugu: వదిలిన (vadilina) — anything discarded
  • Bulgarian: изчистена карта (izčistena karta) — discarded playing card
  • Finnish: pois heitetty kortti — discarded playing card
  • Japanese: 捨て札 (sutefuda) — discarded playing card
  • Macedonian: отфр́лена ка́рта (otfŕlena kárta) — discarded playing card
  • Russian: сбро́шенная ка́рта (sbróšennaja kárta) — discarded playing card
  • Telugu: పారవేసిన పేక ముక్క (pāravēsina pēka mukka) — discarded playing card
  • Afrikaans: weggooi — to throw away, reject
  • Basque: baztertu — to throw away, reject
  • Bulgarian: захвърлям (zahvǎrljam) — to throw away, reject
  • Bulgarian: изхвърлям (izhvǎrljam) — to throw away, reject
  • Chinese Mandarin: 丟棄 /丢弃 (diūqì) — to throw away, reject
  • Chinese Mandarin: 拋棄 /抛弃 (pāoqì) — to throw away, reject
  • Czech: odhodit — to throw away, reject
  • Danish: kassere — to throw away, reject
  • Dutch: verwerpen — to throw away, reject
  • Dutch: afdanken — to throw away, reject
  • Dutch: afleggen — to throw away, reject
  • Dutch: opzijzetten — to throw away, reject
  • Finnish: hylätä — to throw away, reject
  • Finnish: heittää menemään — to throw away, reject
  • Finnish: heittää pois — to throw away, reject
  • Finnish: hävittää — to throw away, reject
  • French: rejeter — to throw away, reject
  • French: écarter — to throw away, reject
  • Galician: desbotar — to throw away, reject
  • Galician: refugar — to throw away, reject
  • Galician: rexeitar — to throw away, reject
  • German: verwerfen — to throw away, reject
  • Greek: απορρίπτω (aporrípto) — to throw away, reject
  • Greek: παραμερίζω (paramerízo) — to throw away, reject
  • Greek: ανατινάζω (anatinázo) — to throw away, reject
  • Ancient Greek: ἀποβάλλω (apobállō) — to throw away, reject
  • Hungarian: elvet — to throw away, reject
  • Japanese: 捨てる (suteru) — to throw away, reject
  • Japanese: 棄てる (suteru) — to throw away, reject
  • Korean: 버리다 (beorida) — to throw away, reject
  • Lao: ເຂັ່ຍ (khia) — to throw away, reject
  • Lao: ເຂັ່ຽ (khīa) — to throw away, reject
  • Latin: rejiciō — to throw away, reject
  • Latin: abicio — to throw away, reject
  • Macedonian: фр́ли (fŕli) — to throw away, reject
  • Macedonian: о́тфрли (ótfrli) — to throw away, reject
  • Macedonian: и́сфрли (ísfrli) — to throw away, reject
  • Macedonian: о́дбие (ódbie) — to throw away, reject
  • Macedonian: о́тстрани (ótstrani) — to throw away, reject
  • Malayalam: ഉപേക്ഷിക്കുക (upēkṣikkuka) — to throw away, reject
  • Māori: whakarei — to throw away, reject
  • Māori: ākiri — to throw away, reject
  • Māori: paetau — to throw away, reject
  • Māori: hoehoe — to throw away, reject
  • Māori: ruke — to throw away, reject
  • Polish: zrzucić — to throw away, reject
  • Portuguese: descartar — to throw away, reject
  • Romanian: arunca — to throw away, reject
  • Russian: отбра́сывать (otbrásyvatʹ) — to throw away, reject
  • Russian: отбро́сить (otbrósitʹ) — to throw away, reject
  • Russian: выбра́сывать (vybrásyvatʹ) — to throw away, reject
  • Russian: вы́бросить (výbrositʹ) — to throw away, reject
  • Serbo-Croatian: odbiti — to throw away, reject
  • Serbo-Croatian: odbijati — to throw away, reject
  • Slovak: odhodiť — to throw away, reject
  • Slovak: zahodiť — to throw away, reject
  • Slovak: vyhodiť — to throw away, reject
  • Slovene: zavreči — to throw away, reject
  • Sotho: lahla — to throw away, reject
  • Spanish: desechar — to throw away, reject
  • Spanish: descartar — to throw away, reject
  • Swedish: kasta — to throw away, reject
  • Swedish: avfärda — to throw away, reject
  • Swedish: slänga — to throw away, reject
  • Telugu: నిరాకరించు (nirākariñcu) — to throw away, reject
  • Tonga (Zambia): sowa — to throw away, reject
  • Ukrainian: відкидати (vidkydaty) — to throw away, reject
  • Ukrainian: відмовлятися (vidmovljatysja) — to throw away, reject
  • Vietnamese: vứt — to throw away, reject
  • Vietnamese: loại bỏ — to throw away, reject
  • Bulgarian: чистя (čistja) — to throw out a playing card
  • Finnish: poistaa — to throw out a playing card
  • Finnish: poistaa kädestä — to throw out a playing card
  • Finnish: laskea pois — to throw out a playing card
  • Finnish: heittää pois — to throw out a playing card
  • French: défausser — to throw out a playing card
  • Galician: descartar — to throw out a playing card
  • German: abwerfen — to throw out a playing card
  • German: ablegen — to throw out a playing card
  • Greek: πετώ (petó) — to throw out a playing card
  • Italian: scartare — to throw out a playing card
  • Mongolian: модоо хаях (modoo xajax) — to throw out a playing card
Real reading context

discard in complete knowledge articles