dirt

noun

ˈdərt 

1

a

: excrement

b

: a filthy or soiling substance (such as mud, dust, or grime)

c

archaic : something worthless

d

: a contemptible person

treated me like dirt

2

: loose or packed soil or sand : earth

a mound of dirt

a dirt road

3

a

: an abject or filthy state : squalor

living in dirt

b

: corruption, chicanery

vowed to clean up the dirt in the city government

c

: licentiousness of language or theme

d

: scandalous or malicious gossip

spreading dirt about his ex-wife

e

: embarrassing or incriminating information

trying to dig up dirt on her political rivals

Synonyms of dirt

• soil
• ground
• mud
• sand

Examples of dirt in a Sentence

Pack dirt loosely around the base of the plant.

You've got some dirt on your face.

Their shoes were covered with dirt.

No amount of cleaning will get rid of all this dirt.

Recent Examples on the Web

The only pedestrians passing by one vacant dirt lot near 6th Street were a couple of teens on BMX bikes wearing smoke-blocking face masks. — Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

Wor$t Girl embraces dirt and dark thoughts alongside abrasive tones, giving its euphoric hooks weight, as though a wild night out is almost crucial to the artist’s well-being. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 July 2026

For instance, inside the skunks’ pen, a cat litter box was filled with dirt, leaves and other natural substrate. — Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026

Officers found Gatz’s SUV under a canopy structure in the woods, about half a mile down a two-way dirt trail, the statements allege. — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 8 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English drit, from Old Norse; akin to Old English drītan to defecate

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing dirt

• dirt bike
• dirt cheap
• dirt farmer
• dirt floor
• dirt-poor
• dirt road
• hit/strike pay dirt
• hit the dirt
• in the dirt
• pay dirt
• treat someone like dirt

Rhymes for dirt

• blurt
• chert
• curt
• flirt
• girt
• hurt
• peart
• pert
• shirt
• skirt
• spurt
• squirt

Kids Definition

dirt

noun

ˈdərt 

1

: a filthy or soiling substance (as mud, dust, or grime)

2

: loose or packed earth : soil

a mound of dirt

3

a

: corruption sense 2

b

: indecent language : obscenity

4

: harmful gossip

stop spreading dirt about him