What does trashing mean?
Trashing is an informal verb meaning to criticize someone or something severely, to disparage it, or to treat it as worthless. The word is especially common in journalism and public debate, as in phrases referring to trashing a person's reputation or attacking a performer, politician, or business. A second sense means to discard something as rubbish, while a further, less frequent sense is to damage or destroy something badly. As a noun, trashing names these actions or processes. The expression generally carries a confrontational and dismissive tone, suggesting that the target is being treated with contempt rather than merely criticized. Compared with criticize, trashing is far more emphatic; compared with destroy, it can refer specifically to wasting something as worthless. The word is familiar in everyday British and American English and is especially useful when describing vigorous negative criticism or the treatment of something as disposable.
To criticize someone or something harshly and disparagingly; to discard or treat something as worthless; or to damage or destroy something badly.
"Critics trashed the new policy for ignoring the concerns of local residents."
The critical sense is common and usually informal. The discard and destruction senses are less frequent but standard.
The act or process of criticizing, discarding, or destroying something in a severe or contemptuous way.
"The public trashing of the company led to a sharp fall in its share price."
Usually used for harsh criticism or public disparagement and often uncountable in that sense.
Rare; the noun is normally used in the singular or uncountably.
"The magazine became known for its sharp trashings of popular culture."
Trashing turns the language of rubbish into the language of reputation: a person whose character is attacked can be treated as though their image were worthless.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does trashing come from?
Trashing is an English gerund formed from the noun and verb trash by adding the suffix -ing. The word trash has long been used for discarded or worthless material, and its figurative language extends from physical rubbish to people, arguments, and reputations considered worthless. The critical sense of trashing developed from this broader association with treating something as worthless, although the exact historical stages of that development are not clear.
How trashing is actually used
Trashing is informal and strongly negative. In its sense of harsh criticism, it is more hostile than criticizing and often implies public denunciation or ridicule. It is widely understood in both British and American English.