Litter — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈli-tər/ lit·ter

Meaning & Definition of Litter

Litter (noun)

  1. a covered and curtained couch provided with shafts and used for carrying a single passenger
  2. a device (such as a stretcher) for carrying a sick or injured person
  3. material used as bedding for animals

Litter (verb)

  1. bed
  2. to give birth to a litter of (young)
  3. to strew with scattered articles

Litter (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. an unorganized collection or mixture of various things

    "a litter of magazines covered the bedroom floor"

    similar: agglomerate, agglomeration, alphabet soup, assortment, botch, clutter, collage, crazy quilt, farrago, gallimaufry, grab bag, gumbo, hash, hodgepodge, hotchpotch, jambalaya, jumble, jungle, macédoine, medley, mélange, menagerie, miscellanea, miscellany, mishmash, mixed bag, montage, motley, muddle, olio, olla podrida, omnium-gatherum, pastiche, patchwork, patchwork quilt, potpourri, ragbag, ragout, rummage, salad, salmagundi, scramble, shuffle, smorgasbord, stew, tumble, variety, welter
    related: detritus, notions, oddments, odds and ends, sundries, accumulation, aggregate, aggregation, conglomerate, conglomeration, catchall, admixture, alloy, amalgam, blend, combination, commixture, composite, compound, fusion, intermixture, mix-up, bollix, chaos, confusion, disarrangement, disarray, disorder, dog's breakfast (chiefly British), mess, morass, shambles, imbroglio, knot, snarl, tangle

  2. discarded or useless material

    "if you get caught throwing your litter on the sidewalk, you'll get slapped with a fine"

    similar: chaff, deadwood, debris, dreck, dross, dust, effluvium, garbage, junk, offal, offscouring, raffle, refuse, riffraff, rubbish, scrap, spilth, trash, truck, waste
    related: crud, sewage, slop, swill, wash, detritus, remains, rubble, ruins, dump, scrap heap, lumber, odds and ends, trumpery, flotsam, jetsam, wreckage, castoff, cull, discard, hand-me-down, reject, throwaway, nothing, straw, two bits
    near: catch, gem, goody, jewel, pearl, plum, prize, treasure, treasure trove, trove, valuable, booty, find, salvage

Litter (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in kid, pup

    similar: calve, kid, kindle, kitten, pup, whelp, beget, father, generate, get, sire, breed, multiply, propagate, reproduce, spawn, labor, bear, birth (chiefly dialect), deliver, drop, have, mother, produce
    opposite: abort, lose, miscarry

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Litter

The most common words with a similar meaning to Litter:

Chiefly dialect: birth
agglomerate, agglomeration, alphabet soup, assortment, botch, clutter, collage, crazy quilt, farrago, gallimaufry, grab bag, gumbo, hash, hodgepodge, hotchpotch, jambalaya, jumble, jungle, macédoine, medley, mélange, menagerie, miscellanea, miscellany, mishmash, mixed bag, montage, motley, muddle, olio, olla podrida, omnium-gatherum, pastiche, patchwork, patchwork quilt, potpourri, ragbag, ragout, rummage, salad

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Litter

Words with the opposite meaning of Litter:

abort, lose, miscarry

Related Words for Litter

detritus, notions, oddments, odds and ends, sundries, accumulation, aggregate, aggregation, conglomerate, conglomeration, catchall, admixture, alloy, amalgam, blend, combination, commixture, composite, compound, fusion, intermixture, mix-up, bollix, chaos, confusion, disarrangement, disarray, disorder, dog's breakfast, mess

Near Antonyms of Litter

catch, gem, goody, jewel, pearl, plum, prize, treasure, treasure trove, trove, valuable, booty, find, salvage

Word Forms of Litter

Inflections: littered, littering, litters

Derived words: littery (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Litter

Middle English, from Anglo-French litere, from lit bed, from Latin lectus lie

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Litter

Words & Phrases Containing Litter

litter box, litter bin, litter tray, anti-litter, cat litter, kitty litter, the pick of the litter

Frequently Asked Questions about Litter

What does "Litter" mean?

"Litter" means a covered and curtained couch provided with shafts and used for carrying a single passenger. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a covered and curtained couch provided with shafts and used for carrying a single passenger. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Litter"?

Other words for "Litter" include agglomerate, agglomeration, alphabet soup, assortment, botch, clutter, collage and crazy quilt. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Litter" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Litter"?

There are 152 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Litter". Common alternatives include agglomerate, agglomeration, alphabet soup, assortment, botch, clutter, collage, crazy quilt, farrago and gallimaufry.

What is the opposite of "Litter"?

Antonyms of "Litter" include abort, lose and miscarry. Near antonyms include catch, gem, goody and jewel.

How do you use "Litter" in a sentence?

Examples of "Litter" in a sentence: "a litter of magazines covered the bedroom floor"; "if you get caught throwing your litter on the sidewalk, you'll get slapped with a fine".

Is "Litter" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Litter" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Litter" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Litter" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Litter"?

"Litter" is pronounced /ˈli-tər/ and divided into syllables as lit·ter.