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Definition of litterbug

litterbug

/ˈlɪt.ɚˌbʌɡ/
lit · ter · bug
Plural:litterbugs
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litterbug Lexical Profile

litterbug Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

North American A person who carelessly drops trash or waste in public places rather than disposing of it in a proper receptacle.

Example

"The park ranger fined the careless litterbug for tossing plastic bottles onto the hiking trail."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for litterbug

• Rhymes for litterbug

• Nearby Words

litmus
litter
litterbag
litterbug
litterer
litterless
littermate

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in American English in the late 1940s and popularized by national anti-littering campaigns in the 1950s, combining 'litter' with the informal suffix-like use of 'bug' (as in 'jitterbug' or 'shutterbug') to denote a person with a particular habit.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Litterbug. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/litterbug
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