1 A2 neutral
To put something in the bin or dispose of it because it is no longer wanted or needed.
"I threw away all the old magazines that had been piling up in the corner."
separable
throw away
A2 neutral separable transitive
To dispose of something; or to waste an opportunity, advantage, or resource carelessly.
In plain English
To put something in the bin because you don't want it anymore, or to waste something good by being careless.
What does "throw away" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic neutral
To waste an opportunity, advantage, or valuable resource through carelessness or poor judgement.
"The team threw away a two-goal lead in the final ten minutes of the match."
separable
3 C1 idiomatic neutral
To say something in a deliberately casual, understated way (a throwaway remark or line).
"He threw away the punchline so casually that half the audience missed it."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To hurl something away from you so you no longer have it.
Actually means
To put something in the bin because you don't want it anymore, or to waste something good by being careless.
Usage tip
One of the most frequent phrasal verbs in English. Used both literally (throw the bottle away) and figuratively (throw away a lead in a game, throw away a talent). The adjective 'throwaway' (a throwaway remark, throwaway culture) derives from this phrase.
Words that pair with "throw away"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
rubbish chance opportunity lead talent money
How to conjugate "throw away"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
throw away
I/you/we/they
3rd person
throws away
he/she/it
Past simple
threw away
yesterday
Past participle
thrown away
have + pp
-ing form
throwing away
continuous
Hear "throw away" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "throw away" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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