Trash vs. Junk — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Published on August 24, 2023
Trash refers to waste or discarded items, often perishable, while junk refers to discarded or old objects, often non-perishable, that no longer have value or use.
Difference Between Trash and Junk
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Trash commonly denotes discarded waste or refuse. Junk, on the other hand, tends to refer to older, discarded items that have lost their original function or value.
Trash is often generated from our daily activities and consumption. Junk, meanwhile, accumulates over time. It's those items that we often store in basements, garages, or attics with the intention of "maybe using one day" but seldom do.
The disposal methods for trash and junk also differ. Trash, being often perishable, is collected frequently by municipal services and is usually destined for landfills, composting, or recycling centers. Junk often requires special services for removal or might be sold in garage sales, given to charity, or even recycled in creative ways.
Trash tends to be more related to the here and now, a byproduct of our immediate consumption. Junk, however, carries a sense of the past. It’s reminiscent of objects that once held value or served a purpose but no longer do. Regardless of the distinction, both trash and junk are a testament to the transitory nature of material possessions.
Comparison Chart
Nature
Often perishable
Often non-perishable
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Generation
Frequently (e.g., daily consumption)
Accumulates over time
Typical Disposal
Municipal collection to landfills or recycling
Garage sales, special services, or storages
Value
Minimal to none
Can have sentimental or potential resale value
Examples
Food waste, packaging
Old furniture, broken electronics
Compare with Definitions
Trash
Discarded matter; refuse.
The streets were littered with trash after the parade.
Junk
Discarded material, especially old cars, machinery, or objects left over from earlier times.
He had a collection of old toys and other junk in his garage.
Trash
Worthless or nonsensical talk or ideas.
All he offers is trash talk without any evidence.
Junk
Old or discarded articles considered as material for reuse.
Many artists use junk to create innovative sculptures.
Trash
Express a totally negative opinion of;
The critics panned the performance
Junk
Discarded or waste material; rubbish, trash, garbage.
Trash
To treat as trash, or worthless matter; hence, to spurn, humiliate, or crush.
Junk
Pieces of old cable or old cordage, used for making gaskets, mats, swabs, etc., and when picked to pieces, forming oakum for filling the seams of ships.
Trash
Items or material discarded as worthless or in disuse.
She cleaned her closet and threw out the trash.
Junk
Something worthless, or only worth its value as recyclable scrap.
Trash
Used to describe something of poor quality.
The movie was absolute trash and not worth watching.
Junk
Inferior or worthless writing or artistic matter, such as easy-to-make movies or books.
The bookstore was filled with romance novels and other junk.
Trash
To treat as trash, or worthless matter; hence, to spurn, humiliate, or crush.
Junk
Hard salt beef for consumption on board a ship.
Trash
A person or thing regarded as worthless or contemptible.
He treated her like trash, not valuing her contributions.
Junk
(Slang) Heroin.
Trash
The leaves, tops, and crushed stems of sugar cane, used as fuel.
Junk
To discard as useless or sell to be reused as parts; scrap.
Trash
Worthless material that is to be disposed of
Junk
Having a superficial appeal or utility, but lacking substance
"the junk issues that have dominated this year's election" (New Republic).
Trash
A dubious assertion, either for appearing untrue or for being excessively boastful.
Junk
; gibberish.
The student put down junk for answers just to finish his homework more quickly.
Trash
Loose-leaf tobacco of a low grade, with much less commercial value than the principal grades.
Junk
(nautical) A Chinese sailing vessel.
Trash
That which is worthless or useless; rubbish; refuse.
Who steals my purse steals trash.
A haunch of venison would be trash to a Brahmin.
Junk
Dispose of (something useless or old);
Trash these old chairs
Junk an old car
Scrap your old computer
Trash
To follow with violence and trampling.
Junk
Articles that are worn-out or fit to be discarded
Broken furniture and other junk in the attic.
Trash
Worthless people
Junk
Cheap or shoddy material.
Trash
Nonsensical talk or writing
Junk
Something meaningless, fatuous, or unbelievable
Nothing but junk in the annual report.
Trash
To free from trash, or worthless matter; hence, to lop; to crop, as to trash the rattoons of sugar cane.
Junk
A traditional Chinese sailing vessel having a high poop and usually two or more masts bearing battened lugsails.
Trash
Amphetamine used in the form of a crystalline hydrochloride; used as a stimulant to the nervous system and as an appetite suppressant
Junk
Relating to or similar to junk bonds, especially in having a high risk of default
Debt of junk status.
Trash
Waste material; refuse
The subway entrance was blocked with trash
Junk
Unwanted residue from processes, especially in relation to food.
He decided to cut out the junk from his diet and eat healthily.
Trash
A person or people regarded as being of very low social standing
Clubs patronized by rock trash
Junk
Discarded material, such as glass, rags, paper, or metal, some of which may be reused in some form.
Trash
Criticize severely
Trade associations trashed the legislation as deficient
Junk
The genitals.
Trash
Intoxicated with alcohol or drugs
There was booze, but nobody really got trashed
Junk
The buttocks.
Trash
Strip (sugar canes) of their outer leaves to ripen them faster.
Junk
Cheap, shoddy, or worthless
Junk jewelry.
Trash
Worthless or discarded material or objects; refuse or rubbish.
Junk
A collection of miscellaneous items of little value.
Trash
A place or receptacle where rubbish is discarded
Threw the wrapper in the trash.
Junk
(slang) Any narcotic drug, especially heroin.
Trash
Something considered worthless or of inferior quality, such as a piece of writing.
Junk
(nautical) salt beef.
Trash
Disparaging, often abusive speech about a person or group.
Junk
Pieces of old cable or cordage, used for making gaskets, mats, swabs, etc., and when picked to pieces, forming oakum for filling the seams of ships.
Trash
A person or group of people regarded as worthless or contemptible.
Junk
(dated) A fragment of any solid substance; a thick piece; a chunk.
Trash
Something broken off or removed to be discarded, especially plant trimmings.
Junk
(attributive) Material or resources of a kind lacking commercial value.
Junk fish
Junk trees
Trash
The refuse of sugarcane after extraction of the juice.
Junk
To throw away.
Trash
To throw away; discard
Trashed the broken toaster.
Junk
To find something for very little money (meaning derived from the term junkshop)
(On Facebook, a record collector wrote:) "The newest addition to my Annette Hanshaw collection, I junked this beautiful flawless E-copy within walking distance from my house."
Trash
To remove twigs or branches from (a tree, for example).
Junk
A fragment of any solid substance; a thick piece. See Chunk.
Trash
To cut off the outer leaves of (growing sugarcane).
Junk
Old iron, or other metal, glass, paper, etc., bought and sold by junk dealers.
Trash
Useless physical things to be discarded; rubbish; refuse.
Junk
Hard salted beef supplied to ships.
Trash
A container into which things are discarded.
Junk
A large vessel, without keel or prominent stem, and with huge masts in one piece, used by the Chinese, Japanese, Siamese, Malays, etc., in navigating their waters.
Trash
Something worthless or of poor quality.
When your life is trash, you don't have much to lose.
Junk
Any of various Chinese boats with a high poop and lugsails
Trash
The disused stems, leaves, or vines of a crop, as well as any weeds mixed therewith, which will either be plowed in as green manure or be removed by raking, grazing, or burning.
Junk
A type of ancient Chinese sailing ship.
We saw a replica of an old junk at the maritime museum.
Trash
People of low social status or class. See, for example, white trash or Eurotrash.
Junk
(slang) The genitalia, especially of a male.
Trash
A fan who is excessively obsessed with their fandom and its fanworks.
I am Harry Potter trash.
Junk
The remains of something that has been destroyed or broken up
Trash
(computing) Temporary storage on disk for files that the user has deleted, allowing them to be recovered if necessary.
Trash
(US) To discard.
Trash
(US) To make into a mess.
The burglars trashed the house.
Trash
(US) To beat soundly in a game.
Trash
(US) To disrespect someone or something
Trash
To free from trash, or worthless matter; hence, to lop; to crop.
To trash the rattoons of sugar cane
Trash
To hold back by a trash or leash, as a dog in pursuing game; hence, to retard, encumber, or restrain; to clog; to hinder vexatiously.
Trash
Especially, loppings and leaves of trees, bruised sugar cane, or the like.
Trash
A collar, leash, or halter used to restrain a dog in pursuing game.
Trash
To hold back by a trash or leash, as a dog in pursuing game; hence, to retard, encumber, or restrain; to clog; to hinder vexatiously.
Trash
Dispose of (something useless or old);
Trash these old chairs
Junk an old car
Scrap your old computer
Trash
Damage or destroy
My apartment's been totally trashed
Trash
To damage or wreck, as by vandalism
The house got trashed during the party.
Trash
To criticize severely or attack verbally
The film was trashed by reviewers.
Trash
A worthless person.
Common Curiosities
What exactly is trash?
Trash refers to waste or discarded items, often perishable, that result from daily activities and consumption.
Where does trash typically end up?
Trash is commonly disposed of in landfills, recycling centers, or composting facilities depending on its nature.
What does junk refer to?
Junk denotes discarded or old items, often non-perishable, which have lost their original function or value over time.
Is all trash biodegradable?
Not all trash is biodegradable; synthetic materials like plastic can take centuries to decompose.
Do people often repurpose junk?
Yes, many individuals and artists repurpose junk, giving it new life in creative and innovative ways.
Can trash have resale value?
Typically, trash does not have resale value as it's considered waste, though some items might be recyclable.
Are trash and junk synonymous?
Though used interchangeably in casual conversation, trash usually means daily waste like food scraps, while junk refers to older discarded items.
Can junk harm the environment?
Yes, if junk, especially electronic waste or chemicals, is not properly disposed of, it can harm the environment and human health.
How is junk typically disposed of?
Junk might be sold, given to charity, stored for potential future use, or discarded using special removal services.
Why do people keep junk?
People often keep junk due to sentimental value, perceived potential utility, or simply the inertia of getting rid of items.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
