discarded

An object or idea that's discarded has been thrown away, rejected, or given up on.

When we talk about something being discarded, it usually means it's no longer wanted or useful. We might discard a broken toy that our child outgrew, or an old phone that's too slow for us now. Sometimes, people get rid of things because they're just taking up space or reminding them of bad memories. It can be hard to decide what to keep and what to throw away, but the main idea is that we've decided something isn't worth keeping anymore.

If you know that "dis-" often means "to separate" or "to take apart", this makes sense - when we discard something, we're separating it from our lives. But if you also know that in some cases "discard" can be a verb with a more gentle meaning (like discarding an old habit), then just remember: even though the verb form might sound nice and easy-going, when we talk about being discarded, it's usually not so positive!