collect dust

verb

To remain untouched and unused for a long period of time.

“The trophies on his wall reminding him of his heyday are now just collecting dust.”

Similar
catch dustgather dust
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Meanings

verbcollect dust (third-person singular simple present collects dust, present participle collecting dust, simple past and past participle collected dust)

present singular third person collects dust · participle present collecting dust · participle past collected dust · past collected dust

  1. idiomaticTo remain untouched and unused for a long period of time.

    The trophies on his wall reminding him of his heyday are now just collecting dust.

    Synonyms: catch dust, gather dust

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo remain untouched and unused for a long period of time.

Similar
catch dustgather dust

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 吃灰
  • 吃灰 (chīhuī)remain unused
Finnish pölyttyä
  • pölyttyäremain unused
French ramasser la poussière
  • ramasser la poussièreremain unused
Russian пыли́ться
  • пыли́ться (pylítʹsja)remain unused
Swedish samla damm
  • samla dammremain unused
Cite this entry
APA

collect dust. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/collect%20dust

MLA

“collect dust.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/collect%20dust. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “collect dust,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/collect%20dust.

Source: collect dust on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.