dirtier; dirtiest
1
a
: not clean or pure
dirty clothes
dirty fingernails
b
: likely to befoul or defile with a soiling substance (such as mud, dust, or grime)
dirty jobs
c
: contaminated with infecting organisms
dirty wounds
d
: containing impurities
dirty coal
2
a
: morally unclean or corrupt: such as
(2)
: dishonorable, base
a dirty trick
(3)
: unsportsmanlike
dirty players
b
: acquired by disreputable or illegal means : ill-gotten
dirty money
c
: disagreeable, distasteful, or objectionable but usually necessary (as in achieving a desired result)
hired a thug to do their dirty work
3
a
: abominable, hateful
war is a dirty business
b
: highly regrettable
a dirty shame
c
: likely to cause disgrace or scandal
dirty little secrets
5
6
: conveying ill-natured resentment
gave him a dirty look
dirtier; dirtiest
: in a dirty (see dirty entry 1) manner: such as
a
: deceptively, underhandedly
fight dirty
b
: indecently
talk dirty
dirtied; dirtying
1
: to soil with a substance (such as mud or grime) : to make dirty (see dirty entry 1)
dirtied my new shoes
: to become soiled
Synonyms
Examples of dirty in a Sentence
Adjective
All my socks are dirty.
Try not to get your clothes dirty.
I can't breathe this dirty city air.
The baby has a dirty diaper.
I hate listening to his dirty jokes.
Adverb
Watch out for her. She plays dirty.
He usually wins because he fights dirty.
Verb
Take off your shoes to keep from dirtying the floor.
Her fingers were dirtied with ink.
Recent Examples on the Web
USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2024
Stapleton’s voice, one of country music’s most powerful, blends perfectly with Slash’s dirty blues playing on the song, written by Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green and first released by the Mac in 1969.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2024
Disneyland will once again have a steakhouse after shuttering a clubby and pricey restaurant during the pandemic that took diners back to a bygone era of lavish decadence and old Hollywood glamor with dirty martinis, bone-in rib-eyes and a legendary 24-layer chocolate cake.
—Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register, 10 Apr. 2024
He's advised startups and given TED Talks about the viability of using AI to do your memory's dirty work.
—Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 10 Apr. 2024
In a dirty hallway crammed with Secret Service agents, Trump spoke to television cameras.
—Michael Rothfeld Emily Woo Zeller Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
The wet-dry vacuum also has dual tanks to keep clean water separate from dirty water and dry messes.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
By contrast, Elephant Nature Park welcomes visitors for full- and half-day tours spent observing elephants roaming the preserve; those interested in staying longer — and getting their hands dirty — can volunteer to assist with the feeding and care of the residents.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 8 Apr. 2024
The Herald was unable to find any public footprint in Florida or contact information for Katz or Lefkowitz.
‘Something very dirty is going on here’
Right before the auction was to start on a two-bedroom Pompano Beach condo with ocean views, a woman showed up and said her name was Kitty Lefkowitz.
—Ben Wieder and, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2024
Ashraf Khalil and Didi Tang, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Oct. 2023
During the Cold War, Washington routinely played dirty to protect the liberal order.
—Victor Cha, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2022
Harkaway’s mastery of brutal fight scenes is in full evidence, especially in scenes where Cal Sounder fights dirty against a much stronger opponent, and the mysteries have a fascinating resolution.
—Charlie Jane Anders, Washington Post, 8 May 2023
Carburetors were so crude and gasoline so dirty back in the day, that the small passages inside the carburetor could get blocked up with dirt.
—Ray Magliozz, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2020
Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 13 Dec. 2023
Parents are asked to wash their children’s toys if they were dirtied with ash, and those who decide to go outside are advised to use N95 or P100 masks for protection.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2023
No need to dirty a bowl—simply combine all the ingredients in a zip-top bag, seal, and shake to coat.
—Zoe Denenberg, Bon Appétit, 4 Nov. 2023
Attend the tale of some of our brightest and shiniest Broadway actors dirtying themselves up for a chance to take a crack at a Sondheim classic.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2023
Humans, unavoidably, of course, dirty these restrooms.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Oct. 2023
The saute/brown feature allows the slow cooker to heat up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and is meant for users to brown cuts of meat or vegetables for stews or roasts directly in the non-stick aluminum lining without having to dirty another dish.
—Alida Nugent, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Sep. 2023
Graham crackers are a cinch to crush by hand—no need to dirty a food processor.
—Jasmine Smith, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2023
As Walzer puts it, no one succeeds in politics without being willing to dirty their hands – and voters should prefer politicians to get their hands dirty, if that is the cost of effective political agency.
—Michael Blake, The Conversation, 20 Jan. 2023
Adjective
Here's how to safely and properly clean those dusty, dirty light fixtures with ease, in and around your home.
—USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2024
Stapleton’s voice, one of country music’s most powerful, blends perfectly with Slash’s dirty blues playing on the song, written by Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green and first released by the Mac in 1969.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2024
Disneyland will once again have a steakhouse after shuttering a clubby and pricey restaurant during the pandemic that took diners back to a bygone era of lavish decadence and old Hollywood glamor with dirty martinis, bone-in rib-eyes and a legendary 24-layer chocolate cake.
—Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register, 10 Apr. 2024
He's advised startups and given TED Talks about the viability of using AI to do your memory's dirty work.
—Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 10 Apr. 2024
In a dirty hallway crammed with Secret Service agents, Trump spoke to television cameras.
—Michael Rothfeld Emily Woo Zeller Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
The wet-dry vacuum also has dual tanks to keep clean water separate from dirty water and dry messes.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
By contrast, Elephant Nature Park welcomes visitors for full- and half-day tours spent observing elephants roaming the preserve; those interested in staying longer — and getting their hands dirty — can volunteer to assist with the feeding and care of the residents.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 8 Apr. 2024
The Herald was unable to find any public footprint in Florida or contact information for Katz or Lefkowitz.
‘Something very dirty is going on here’
Right before the auction was to start on a two-bedroom Pompano Beach condo with ocean views, a woman showed up and said her name was Kitty Lefkowitz.
—Ben Wieder and, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2024
Adverb
The campaign gained intensity when photos circulated on the Internet of Ya Ya looking dirty and gaunt (by panda standards) with patchy fur.
—Ashraf Khalil and Didi Tang, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Oct. 2023
During the Cold War, Washington routinely played dirty to protect the liberal order.
—Victor Cha, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2022
Harkaway’s mastery of brutal fight scenes is in full evidence, especially in scenes where Cal Sounder fights dirty against a much stronger opponent, and the mysteries have a fascinating resolution.
—Charlie Jane Anders, Washington Post, 8 May 2023
Carburetors were so crude and gasoline so dirty back in the day, that the small passages inside the carburetor could get blocked up with dirt.
—Ray Magliozz, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2020
Verb
The fun design makes these great candidates for serveware, eliminating dishes dirtied.
—Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 13 Dec. 2023
Parents are asked to wash their children’s toys if they were dirtied with ash, and those who decide to go outside are advised to use N95 or P100 masks for protection.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2023
No need to dirty a bowl—simply combine all the ingredients in a zip-top bag, seal, and shake to coat.
—Zoe Denenberg, Bon Appétit, 4 Nov. 2023
Attend the tale of some of our brightest and shiniest Broadway actors dirtying themselves up for a chance to take a crack at a Sondheim classic.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2023
Humans, unavoidably, of course, dirty these restrooms.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Oct. 2023
The saute/brown feature allows the slow cooker to heat up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and is meant for users to brown cuts of meat or vegetables for stews or roasts directly in the non-stick aluminum lining without having to dirty another dish.
—Alida Nugent, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Sep. 2023
Graham crackers are a cinch to crush by hand—no need to dirty a food processor.
—Jasmine Smith, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2023
As Walzer puts it, no one succeeds in politics without being willing to dirty their hands – and voters should prefer politicians to get their hands dirty, if that is the cost of effective political agency.
—Michael Blake, The Conversation, 20 Jan. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dirty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near dirty
Cite this Entry
“Dirty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dirty. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dirty
1 of 2 adjective
dirtier; dirtiest
1
: not clean
dirty clothes
dirty air
2
: unfair sense 1, dishonorable
a dirty trick
4
: disagreeable or objectionable but usually necessary (as in achieving a desired result)
had to scrub the floor and do other dirty work
5
: stormy sense 1
dirty weather
6
: not clear in color : dull
a dirty red
7
: showing dislike or anger
a dirty look
dirty
2 of 2 verb
dirtied; dirtying
: to make or become dirty
Medical Definition
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