thousands of garbage

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "thousands of garbage" is not correct in standard English usage.
It is typically used incorrectly because "garbage" is an uncountable noun and should not be preceded by "thousands of." Example: "The city was overwhelmed with thousands of bags of garbage after the festival."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

IT WAS a moment that brought thousands of garbage men to their feet.

The Economist

"We have thousands of garbage truck trips that we didn't have before.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

The 20th-anniversary edition of Garbage is out on 2 October.

The Guardian

On Second Avenue, near 44th Street, heaps of garbage bags circling a tree had been all but concealed by a snowdrift.

The New York Times

By January 8th some 60,000 tonnes of garbage were piled up in the streets, roughly 5,000 tonnes of it in Naples itself.

The Economist

Technological advances continued during the first half of the 20th century, including the development of garbage grinders, compaction trucks, and pneumatic collection systems.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Toward the end of the 18th century in America, municipal collection of garbage was begun in Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia.

Encyclopedia Britannica

"All that stuff on the news about fraudulent companies asking for money up-front is a bunch of garbage," says the 21st Century salesman on the undercover tape [9].

Huffington Post

Doesn't the 4th Amendment prohibit warrantless search and seizure of garbage left for collection?

Los Angeles Times

In the precedent-setting California vs. Greenwood, 486 U.S. 35 (1988), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled: "The [Constitution's] 4th Amendment does not prohibit warrantless search and seizure of garbage which has been left for collection outside the curtilage of a home".

Los Angeles Times

The valley of ashes evoked by F. Scott Fitzgerald was, in history, the Corona Ash Dump, a receptacle for incinerated garbage; not long after the novel was published, Robert Moses, the shaper of 20th century New York, bought the dump, hauled off millions of tons of garbage, and staged the 1939 World's Fair there.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to "garbage", which is an uncountable noun, use quantifiers like "tons", "amounts", or "loads" instead of "thousands."

Common error

Avoid using numerical quantifiers directly with uncountable nouns like "garbage". Instead, quantify the units of garbage (e.g., "thousands of bags of garbage") or use mass nouns (e.g., "tons of garbage").

Linguistic Context

The phrase "thousands of garbage" functions as a quantifier followed by a noun. However, it is grammatically flawed. As noted by Ludwig, "garbage" is an uncountable noun and cannot be directly preceded by "thousands of".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "thousands of garbage" is grammatically incorrect because "garbage" is an uncountable noun. As Ludwig AI points out, it should be followed by a countable unit (e.g., "thousands of bags of garbage") or quantified using mass nouns like "tons". While the examples found are mostly from news and media contexts, the phrase is infrequent and should be avoided in formal writing. Instead, consider alternatives such as "tons of garbage" or "a large amount of garbage" for clarity and grammatical accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

thousands of bags of garbage

Specifies the form of the garbage, making it grammatically correct by using a countable noun.

tons of garbage

Uses "tons" to quantify the garbage, which is a more appropriate unit of measurement for an uncountable noun.

a large quantity of garbage

Replaces "thousands" with a general quantifier, suitable for uncountable nouns.

significant amount of garbage

Emphasizes the substantial nature of the garbage present.

mountains of garbage

Uses a metaphorical expression to describe a big quantity of garbage.

a multitude of garbage items

Focuses on individual items within the garbage, making "multitude" appropriate.

endless garbage

Suggests a seemingly unlimited quantity of garbage.

a vast amount of refuse

Replaces "garbage" with "refuse", another word for waste, and uses "vast amount" as the quantifier.

an abundance of trash

Synonymous replacement, focusing on the plentiful nature of the trash.

numerous piles of waste

Highlights multiple accumulations of waste material.

FAQs

Is it correct to say "thousands of garbage"?

No, it is grammatically incorrect. "Garbage" is an uncountable noun and should not be directly quantified with "thousands." Use "thousands of bags of garbage" or "tons of garbage" instead.

How can I properly quantify "garbage" in a sentence?

Use quantifiers appropriate for uncountable nouns, such as "a lot of", "much", or measure the garbage in countable units like bags, tons, or cubic feet. For example, you could say "a lot of "garbage"", "much "garbage"", or "thousands of bags of "garbage"".

What are some alternatives to "thousands of garbage" that are grammatically correct?

You can use phrases like "thousands of bags of "garbage"", "tons of "garbage"", or "a large amount of "garbage"". These alternatives correctly quantify the uncountable noun ""garbage"".

Is there a difference in meaning between "thousands of garbage" and "thousands of bags of garbage"?

"Thousands of "garbage"" is grammatically incorrect. "Thousands of bags of "garbage"" is correct and refers to a large number of bags filled with "garbage". The latter specifies the unit of measure.