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dumping ground

dumping ground

7 4.0
A place where people throw away unwanted things, often illegally
  • noun
  • /ˈdʌmpɪŋ ɡraʊnd/
translation icon : vertedero
  • Covering nearly 50 square miles, Boston Harbor has been a dumping ground for all sorts of waste.
  • became a dumping ground

Brand YouTube channels are corporate video dumping grounds.

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Examples

  • A dumping ground for what no other borough, no other township, or no other city will accept.

    Academic text (2000)
  • My home office is a dumping ground for all my mess.

    Blog text (22)
  • The school's just a dumping ground.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Chester should not and will not serve as a dumping ground.

    Academic text (2000)
  • We have no right to use our country as the dumping ground for the scum of the world.

    Blog text (32)
  • But our bodies don't have to be the dumping ground for dirty industries.

    Blog text (12)
  • That's a virtual dumping ground for homicide victims out there from all over the state.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • The area had proved to be a popular dumping ground for ship owners who did not wish to invest in repairing their unsafe vessels.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Long before it was in vogue, Abu Talib transformed an abandoned dumping ground into a community education center.

    Blog text (18)
  • His backyard has turned into a dumping ground for old furniture and appliances.

Synonyms

dump
vsdumping ground
214 1.1

A place where people leave large amounts of rubbish

is mainly about unauthorized discarding rather than any simple accumulation
garbage dump
vsdumping ground
  • US
9 1.0

A place where people take and leave large amounts of waste

stresses uncontrolled or unauthorized discarding rather than routine collection
dumpsite
vsdumping ground
3 4.5

A piece of land where people throw away trash without control

is any place where unwanted items are discarded without control or permission
trash heap
vsdumping ground
  • US
3 2.4

A pile of garbage and old things people throw away

is about the act of discarding in a place, not only the gathered mess
junk heap
vsdumping ground
3 4.2

A messy pile of old broken things people throw away

refers to locations for unwanted items, not only to worthless stored objects
junk pile
vsdumping ground
2 2.7

A messy heap of old things that people throw away

indicates discarding locations often uncontrolled, not only stored clutter
trash pile
vsdumping ground
  • US
1 1.3

A heap of thrown away things like paper and bottles

describes the place of disposing that may be uncontrolled, not only the grouped mess
trash dump
vsdumping ground
  • US
1 2.1

A place where people put waste to be taken away

is often informal and lacks permission or proper controls
garbage heap
vsdumping ground
  • US
1 2.3

A large pile of things that people have thrown away

is about unauthorized disposal locations rather than merely piled refuse
rubbish heap
vsdumping ground
  • UK
1 2.7

A pile of waste and old things

refers to a location where items are discarded rather than just a visible pile
scrapheap
vsdumping ground
1 5.4

A pile of old broken metal and other things kept to be thrown away

is more specialized for repair or recycling rather than general uncontrolled discarding
rubbish dump
vsdumping ground
  • UK
1 2.0

A large open area where people leave trash

is used for uncontrolled or unauthorized discarding rather than formal collection
wasteyard
vsdumping ground
7.4

A piece of land where people dump waste from homes and factories

is specifically about places where unwanted items are discarded often without control
waste-yard
vsdumping ground
4.8

An area of land where people put rubbish

is usually uncontrolled and used without permission rather than a formal site
refuse heap
vsdumping ground
4.5

A pile of rubbish left outside in one place

focuses on where items are thrown away, not just their gathered state
cesspit of trash
vsdumping ground
  • Informal
8.6

A place that is very dirty and full of trash and bad smells

is a neutral, literal term for places where items are discarded, not an insult

How Official

to landfill
  • Specialized
1 3.5
dumping ground
7 4.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

dump + ground

The meaning is directly compositional: 'dump' (to discard) combined with 'ground' (the earth/place) yields a place where things are discarded. This agent-less noun phrase follows a transparent pattern (place of X) found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The noun dumping ground comes from the simple image of a piece of ground where people dump or 'throw away' their trash and old things. So, it means 'a place where unwanted items are discarded'.