down and dirty

adjective or adverb

1
: unvarnished
the down and dirty truth
2
: made or done hastily : not revised or polished
a down and dirty solution
3
: marked by or given to fierce often unscrupulous competition
down and dirty campaigning
4
: bawdy
down and dirty sexuality
5
: seedy
a down and dirty neighborhood
6
: relating to or involved with what is crudely basic and practical
down and dirty details

Examples of down and dirty in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There's no Marvel Cinematic Universe moralising or teamwork saving the day, this is down and dirty superhero-subversion that has a lot to say about the perils of corporate ownership, the evils of capitalism, and, of course, there are all those almost comically gruesome deaths. Rosie Knight, refinery29.com, 7 Sep. 2020 Well, the experience was wonderful except for getting kicked in the face by that low-down and dirty Sami Zayn. Dallas News, 30 Mar. 2022 With Season 1 now completed on HBO Max, Parham spoke to Variety about getting down and dirty as a liberated woman of the ‘70s. Selome Hailu, Variety, 14 Apr. 2022 Few songs have distilled the essence of the down and dirty Sunset Strip life more effectively. Jon O'Brien, Billboard, 28 Feb. 2022 These are often down and dirty wars of tribal fury, where the fighting itself is what matters. David D. Haynes, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2022 The way James decided to shoot it, which is like a documentary with the camera on the shoulder (of the cameraman) shooting these characters, very immediate, down and dirty, really works. Angela Dawson, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2021 Gottmik draws her brows sky high on her signature, clown-white face, but her reality TV standards are down and dirty. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 23 July 2021 The best machine for cleaning upholstery is a spot cleaner, which uses suction and steam to get into even the most down and dirty stains. Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'down and dirty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of down and dirty was in 1959

Dictionary Entries Near down and dirty

Cite this Entry

“Down and dirty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/down%20and%20dirty. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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