Environmental Cleanup Terminology

noun the remains of something that has been destroyed or broken up

adjective debris can also be used as an adjective to describe something made up of debris

• The construction site was littered with debris from the demolished building.
• I tripped over some debris on the sidewalk.
• Watch out for that debris, it's all over the place.
• Emotional debris from the past can hinder personal growth.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun

• The empty barrel was left outside the warehouse.
• Why is there an empty barrel in the backyard?
• That empty barrel is just taking up space.
• His arguments were like an empty barrel, making a lot of noise but lacking substance.

noun a person or thing that has been left behind or neglected

article a word that is used to specify or limit a noun

• The left behinds, the remnants of the ancient civilization, were carefully preserved in the museum.
• I always feel a bit sad for the left behinds, the items people forget at the park.
• Don't worry about the left behinds, the party will still be fun without them.
• The left behinds, the memories of our past, still haunt me to this day.