Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Thrown away; rejected as unwanted or useless: Describes something that has been disposed of, abandoned, or gotten rid of because it is no longer considered valuable, needed, or functional.
   • Cast off; no longer used or worn: Often refers to items, especially clothing, that have been given up or rejected by a previous owner.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:
  • The discarded toys were left on the curb for trash collection.
  • She found a beautiful vase among the discarded items at the flea market.
  • He felt like a discarded piece of equipment after the company restructured.

Advanced Usage

• "discarded as obsolete": thrown away because it is outdated.
  • The old computer manuals were discarded as obsolete.
• "discarded in favor of": rejected or abandoned in preference for something else.
  • The original plan was discarded in favor of a more ambitious one.

Variants and Related Words

• Discard (verb): To get rid of something that is no longer wanted or needed.
  • You should discard any food that is past its expiration date.
• Discarding (noun): The action of throwing something away.
  • The discarding of plastic waste is a major environmental issue.

Synonyms

• Rejected: Not accepted or approved.
• Abandoned: Left completely and finally.
• Jettisoned: Thrown or dropped from an aircraft or ship; cast aside.
• Cast-off: Thrown away or rejected.

Related Phrasal Verbs/Constructions

• Throw away/discard: To dispose of something.
  • Don't just throw away those papers; recycle them.
• Cast aside/discard: To reject or abandon someone or something.
  • He felt cast aside by his old friends.

Related Idioms

• On the scrap heap: Discarded as useless (often for people or ideas).
  • Many old business models ended up on the scrap heap.
• Out with the old: A saying implying that old things should be discarded to make way for new ones.
  • It's time for a change—out with the old, in with the new!

Adjective

1. thrown away
   • wearing someone's cast-off clothes
   • throwaway children living on the streets
   • salvaged some thrown-away furniture