scrub

Fetched 2026-10-27 (live).

Synonyms: shrub, scrum, scrab, strub, srub, scrib, schub, crub, scrb, scru, scrob

Antonyms: shrub, scrum, scrab, strub, srub, scrib, schub, crub, scrb, scru, scrob

Related words from Datamuse; suggestions, not definitions.

Adjective

1. Mean; dirty; contemptible; scrubby.

Noun

1. A low, stunted tree; a shrub.
2. A thicket or jungle, often specified by the name of the prevailing plant.
   • oak scrub
3. Vegetation judged to be of inferior quality or of little use to humans, though sometimes thick and impenetrable, growing in poor soil or in sand; also, brush.
4. One of the common livestock of a region of no particular breed or not of pure breed, especially when inferior in size, etc.; particularly a male animal poorly suited for breeding.
5. One who labors hard and lives meanly.
6. One who is incompetent or unable to complete easy tasks.
   • Wow, she really scored 0? What a scrub!
7. One not on the first team of players; a substitute.
8. A player who whines when outmatched by other players, sometimes by blaming the game mechanics or even accusing the other players of cheating.

Verb

1. To rub hard; to wash with rubbing; usually, to rub with a wet brush, sponge or with something coarse or rough, for the purpose of cleaning or brightening.
   • to scrub a floor with a cleanser
   • to scrub your fingernails
   • to scrub the walls with a sponge
   • She has been scrubbing for an hour, but the stain won't come out.
   • The surgeon readied himself, dressing, scrubbing and checking his notes for the next patient.
   • I've had to scrub hard for a living
2. To rub anything vigorously, especially with a wet brush; to scour.
   • She has been scrubbing for an hour, but the stain won't come out.
3. Synonym of scrub in (“To thoroughly wash one's hands and forearms in preparation for performing a surgery”).
   • The surgeon readied himself, dressing, scrubbing and checking his notes for the next patient.
4. To be diligent and penurious.
   • I've had to scrub hard for a living
5. To eliminate or remove (something); to render (something) unretrievable.
   • I will scrub the inefficiencies out of the system.
   • We scrubbed the low performers from the team.
   • It's impossible to scrub data from the internet.
   • Engineers had to scrub the satellite launch due to bad weather.
   • The project has been scrubbed in the latest budget.
   • Scrub the billing files.
   • The street segment data from the National Post Office will need to be scrubbed before it can be integrated into our system.
   • She's scrubbing her social media accounts before the background check begins.
6. To call off (a scheduled event); to cancel (something).
   • Engineers had to scrub the satellite launch due to bad weather.
   • The project has been scrubbed in the latest budget.
7. To check data in invoices and other records in order to find, fix, document or otherwise handle anomalies, errors or omissions.
   • Scrub the billing files.
8. To study in great detail a contract or other agreement in order to identify and remove risks, liability or other issues.
9. To eliminate or correct (data) from a set of records to bring it inline with other similar datasets.
   • The street segment data from the National Post Office will need to be scrubbed before it can be integrated into our system.
10. To remove unflattering or unhelpful information from (something).
    • She's scrubbing her social media accounts before the background check begins.
11. To remove impurities from a gas or vapor.
12. To move or manipulate (something) with an action analogous to scrubbing.
    • scrub the ground
13. To play a video game without skills; to button mash.
14. To move a recording tape back and forth with a scrubbing motion to produce a scratching sound, or to do so by a similar use of a control on an editing system.
15. To maneuver the play position on a media editing system by using a scroll bar or touch-based interface.
16. To move the arms alongside a horse's head in sync with its stride, as to urge it forward.
17. To shudder when taking tight turns or hitting bumps due to wheel misalignment, cold weather or problems with the suspension.
18. Synonym of scrub in (“To break in new racing tires by doing a few gentle laps on them.”)
19. To ride so as to lean horizontally when ascending a slope in order to jump the dirtbike.

Noun

1. An instance of scrubbing.
2. A cancellation.
3. A worn-out brush.
4. One who scrubs.
5. That which scrubs.
6. An exfoliant for the body.
7. Attributive form of scrubs (“clothing worn while performing surgery”).
8. Attributive form of scrubs (“any medical uniform consisting of a short-sleeved shirt and pants (trousers)”).
9. Informal attire or dress code; morning dress.

Source: Wiktionary · CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wiktionary) · cached copy, not a rewrite.