屑(くず)

くず

noun

scrap, waste, dregs, trash

1. scrap, waste material

Small leftover pieces or fragments from something; materials no longer useful.

紙(かみ)屑(くず)を拾(ひろ)って捨(す)てた。

I picked up the scraps of paper and threw them away.

鉄(てつ)屑(くず)はリサイクルできる。

Scrap iron can be recycled.

工場(こうじょう)から出(で)る木(き)屑(くず)を集(あつ)めて処分(しょぶん)する。

We collect and dispose of the wood shavings from the factory.

2. worthless person (derogatory)

A derogatory term for a person considered to be useless or of low character.

あいつは人間(にんげん)の屑(くず)だ。

That guy is human trash.

[Note: Very harsh, derogatory expression]

約束(やくそく)を平気(へいき)で破(やぶ)るなんて屑(くず)だと思(おも)われても仕方(しかた)ない。

If you casually break promises, you can't blame people for thinking you're scum.

社会(しゃかい)の屑(くず)と呼(よ)ばれても彼(かれ)は気(き)にしなかった。

Even though he was called the scum of society, he didn't care.

屑(くず) means scraps, waste, or refuse. It often appears in compounds referring to specific types of waste material.

COMMON COMPOUNDS:

紙(かみ)屑(くず): paper scraps
鉄(てつ)屑(くず) / 屑(くず)鉄(てつ): scrap iron/metal
木(き)屑(くず): wood shavings
屑(くず)籠(かご): wastepaper basket
パン屑(くず): bread crumbs

INSULTING USAGE:
When applied to people, 屑(くず) is extremely derogatory — equivalent to calling someone "scum" or "trash." This usage is common in manga, anime, and online speech, but is very offensive in real life.

WRITING:
Often written in hiragana (くず) or katakana (クズ), especially in the insulting sense. The kanji 屑(くず) appears more in formal or compound usage.

general

Added 2026.1.13 10:47 · Revised 2026.5.28 7:24

03500/03883_kuzu