discard

1 of 2

verb

dis·​card dis-ˈkärd How to pronounce discard (audio)
ˈdis-ˌkärd
discarded; discarding; discards

transitive verb

1
: to get rid of especially as useless or unwanted
a pile of discarded tires
They quickly discarded the idea.
2
a
: to remove (a playing card) from one's hand (see hand entry 1 sense 7a(1))
discarded an ace
b
: to play (any card except a trump) from a suit different from the one led

intransitive verb

: to discard a playing card
discard at the end of your turn
discardable
dis-ˈkärd-də-bəl How to pronounce discard (audio)
ˈdis-ˌkär-
adjective
discarder noun

discard

2 of 2

noun

dis·​card ˈdis-ˌkärd How to pronounce discard (audio)
1
a
: the act of removing a playing card from one's hand : the act of discarding (see discard entry 1 sense 2a)
b
: a card discarded
collected the discards
2
: one that is cast off or rejected
Choose the Right Synonym for discard

discard, cast, shed, slough, scrap, junk mean to get rid of.

discard implies the letting go or throwing away of something that has become useless or superfluous though often not intrinsically valueless.

discard old clothes

cast, especially when used with off, away, or out, implies a forceful rejection or repudiation.

cast off her friends

shed and slough imply a throwing off of something both useless and encumbering and often suggest a consequent renewal of vitality or luster.

shed a bad habit
finally sloughed off the depression

scrap and junk imply throwing away or breaking up as worthless in existent form.

scrap all the old ways
would junk our educational system

Example Sentences

Verb Remove and discard the stems. a pile of discarded tires She discarded the six of hearts. Noun toss all of your discards in the garbage
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Stir once more, then remove and discard any clams that haven’t opened. Christopher Kimball, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Nov. 2022 Remove and discard heads and any rogue bits of shell. Odette Williams, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022 Remove and discard rosemary sprigs and garlic halves. People Staff, PEOPLE.com, 30 July 2022 Following the framework means knowing what to follow and what to discard, setting you up for a prosperous life and career on your terms. Jodie Cook, Forbes, 11 Nov. 2022 When the museum hit the financial skids in 1974 and Norton Simon took control of the place, Hopps encouraged Dagny to hurry over and salvage books from the museum’s library of recent art, which Simon was poised to discard. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2022 The company advises customers to discard the lettuce and seek a refund. Chris Smith, BGR, 5 Nov. 2022 Raffensperger said Graham suggested Georgia could discard a large number of mail-in ballots for President Joe Biden, according to news reports. John Fritze, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2022 Near the end of the meeting, a commissioner read prewritten remarks explaining that the requests to discard the voting machines were outside their power. Doug Bock Clark, ProPublica, 1 Nov. 2022
Noun
Remove wrap and gently brush off all the cure and discard. Kim Sunée, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Nov. 2022 Pour simmering stock through a fine-mesh strainer into pan mixture; discard neck. People Staff, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2022 Rewarm the butter and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing on solids in the butter itself; discard solids. Michael A. Gardiner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2022 Using a small paring knife, remove seeds and ribs; discard. Janet Mccracken, Peoplemag, 28 Oct. 2022 Cut pears in half and discard cores and stems; dice into 1-inch pieces and place in a bowl with lemon zest and juice. Kim Sunée, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Sep. 2022 If desired, press sauce through fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds; discard seeds. Krissa Rossbund, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Sep. 2022 If a Pokémon is attacked, the tool card goes into the discard pile. Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 19 Sep. 2022 Officials in Milwaukee County, for example, discard ballots due to lack of space. Molly Stellino, USA TODAY, 24 Sep. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'discard.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1578, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1719, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of discard was circa 1578

Dictionary Entries Near discard

Cite this Entry

“Discard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discard. Accessed 7 Dec. 2022.

Kids Definition

discard

1 of 2 verb
dis·​card dis-ˈkärd How to pronounce discard (audio)
ˈdis-ˌkärd
1
: to remove a playing card from one's hand
2
: to get rid of as useless or unwanted
discard an old hat
discardable adjective

discard

2 of 2 noun
dis·​card ˈdis-ˌkärd How to pronounce discard (audio)
1
: the act of discarding in a card game
2
: a person or thing cast off or rejected

More from Merriam-Webster on discard

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