German word

entsorgen

Pronunciation

IPA/ɛntˈzɔɐ̯gən/

Meaning

  • verbthrow away

Example

Ich entsorge heute den Müll.

I'm throwing away the trash today.

Illustration for entsorgen (throw away)

More examples

In vielen Gemeinden kann man Elektroschrott kostenlos entsorgen.

In many municipalities, electronic waste can be disposed of free of charge.

Core concept

An unwanted object leaves a household and enters the waste system for sorting, collection, or treatment.

Common phrases

  • den Biomüll entsorgen

    dispose of organic waste

  • Elektroschrott entsorgen

    dispose of electronic waste

  • gefährliche Abfälle entsorgen

    dispose of hazardous waste

Similar words

wegwerfen: Discarding something by throwing it away, with no stated follow-up.
wegschmeißen: Informal wording for throwing something away in a rough manner.
recyceln: Processing recoverable materials for later reuse.
beseitigen: Getting rid of an unwanted object or obstacle completely.

Definition in German

Entsorgen bezeichnet das sachgerechte Entfernen oder Abgeben von Abfallstoffen zur weiteren Verarbeitung oder Beseitigung.

Word origin

The verb combines ent- with sorgen, originally meaning to free from care, and came to mean removing something from one's care for disposal.

Usage tips

  • Entsorgen is neutral and often formal, while colloquial speech commonly uses wegwerfen for simply throwing something away.

Other meanings

  • dispose ofverb
  • discardverb
  • get rid ofverb

Opposites

Related words

  • Entsorgungdisposalnoun
  • Entsorgungsunternehmenwaste disposal companynoun
  • entsorgtdisposed ofadjective

Word lists with this word