WordGarden.iodreg
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /drˈɛɡ/
US
Meanings
Noun
solid residue left at the bottom of a liquid
the least valuable remaining part of something
a person contemptuously viewed as one of the lowest members of society
Beyond the definition
Usually used as dregs, this word means the bits left at the bottom of a liquid, like the last muddy sip of coffee or the sediment in wine. It can also mean the worst or least wanted part of something, especially in a figurative sense. The idea is that the better part is gone, and only the unwanted remainder is left.
Imagine finishing a cup of coffee and seeing a dark, gritty layer in the final sip. Those are the dregs. Now imagine someone speaking harshly about "the dregs of society." In that case, the word is no longer literal; it suggests people the speaker sees as the lowest or worst group. It is a dark, heavy word and often sounds strongly judgmental.
The word "dreg" is used much more often as dregs. In its most literal sense, it refers to the sediment or unwanted matter left at the bottom of a liquid such as wine, beer, tea, or coffee. If you pour carefully and then notice a cloudy, bitter layer left in the cup or bottle, that is the dregs. The image behind the word is simple: the drinkable part is gone, and the heavy remains have settled at the bottom.
From there, the word developed a figurative meaning. It can describe the lowest, poorest, or least desirable part of something. People may speak of "the dregs of society" to mean those they view as the most degraded or unwanted members of a community. That phrasing is harsh and insulting, and it tells you as much about the speaker's attitude as about the people being described.
The word carries a strongly negative tone. It suggests something left behind after anything useful, valuable, or pleasant has been taken away. You may also see it in expressions about the final, miserable stage of something, where only the worst part seems to remain. So while the word began with sediment in a drink, it now often points to an unwanted remainder, either literal or figurative. Because of that, it is a vivid word, but also one to use with care.
Examples
- 1
Coffee remains
She swirled the last dregs of coffee around the mug before rinsing it out.
- Grammar
dreg is usually used as dregs, especially in the dregs of, for the small amount left at the bottom
- 2
Savings
By the end of the year, they were living on the dregs of their savings.
- Patternthe dregs of + resource
the last small remaining part of it
- 3
Insulting phrase
He described the gang as the dregs of society.
- Caution
the dregs of society is a very insulting phrase for people seen as the worst or least respected part of society
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- dregnoun