Synonyms of residue

residue

noun

ˈre-zə-ˌdü 

1

as in debris

the portion or bits of something left over or behind after it has been destroyed

the detective noticed an ashy residue in the sink and deduced that a piece of paper had been burned there

Synonyms & Similar Words

• debris
• rubble
• wreckage
• remains
• ruins
• remnant
• ashes
• detritus
• wreck
• flotsam
• dust
• leavings
• garbage
• junk
• litter
• chaff
• jetsam
• waste
• trash
• dross
• scrap
• rubbish
• refuse
• deadwood
• riffraff

2

as in remainder

a remaining group or portion

the residue of our Thanksgiving feast consisted of a denuded turkey carcass and a couple rolls

Synonyms & Similar Words

• remainder
• rest
• remnant
• remains
• residuum
• leavings
• leftovers
• odds and ends
• fragment
• balance
• vestige
• excess
• surplus
• stump
• scrap
• butt
• overabundance
• stub
• overage
• superfluity
• overflow
• fat
• oversupply
• surfeit
• overkill
• overmuch
• superabundance
• scraping(s)
• oddment

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• body
• most
• weight
• mass
• bulk
• main

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of residue

Harnessing a specific type of wallpaper, called NuWallpaper, this creation leaves no sticky residue in its wake and will stick to pretty much anything that’s flat. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026

Most of the gun residue, casings, and bullet holes were found in the garage. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026

Coal combustion leaves behind fly ash, a fine mineral residue that companies dumped in landfills or stored in enormous ash ponds. — Edward D. Melillo, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026

The defense has argued that no gunshot residue was found on Flynn the night of the murder and that none of his wife's blood was on him either. — CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026