1
a
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
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
Tip: Clean dirt and debris around the pivot points before replacing the old strut with the new one.
—
Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024
Whether your little one has traced dirt into the house after a trip to the park or the dog had an accident on the floor, a carpet cleaner can offer a quick and effective solution.
—Casey Clark, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
An initial visit to the site in June 2023 revealed mostly dirt, making the end product difficult to imagine.
—Sam Smith, Robb Report, 14 Apr. 2024
The insects are about a quarter-inch long and are recognizable by the black and white stripes on their legs and bodies, and their eggs are tiny, appearing like bits of dirt to the naked eye.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024
The truck passed, revealing a police car parked on a dirt shoulder farther up the street, from where the semi-trailer had come.
—Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2024
Use either a broom or vacuum to remove the dirt, then go over the surface with a mop or a Swiffer equipped with a wet pad.
—Jennifer Barger, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Unlike the autonomous vacuum, which uses sensors to roam around your house looking for carpet dirt, Detroit’s first high-tech cleaning machine — dubbed the BeBot, short for beach robot — is operated by a human with a remote control and video-game dexterity.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 10 Apr. 2024
This tells us it's certified to be both dustproof (complete protection against sand, dirt, and dust) and waterproof to a depth of 3 feet for up to 30 minutes.
—PCMAG, 6 Apr. 2024
Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024
Whether your little one has traced dirt into the house after a trip to the park or the dog had an accident on the floor, a carpet cleaner can offer a quick and effective solution.
—Casey Clark, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
An initial visit to the site in June 2023 revealed mostly dirt, making the end product difficult to imagine.
—Sam Smith, Robb Report, 14 Apr. 2024
The insects are about a quarter-inch long and are recognizable by the black and white stripes on their legs and bodies, and their eggs are tiny, appearing like bits of dirt to the naked eye.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024
The truck passed, revealing a police car parked on a dirt shoulder farther up the street, from where the semi-trailer had come.
—Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2024
Use either a broom or vacuum to remove the dirt, then go over the surface with a mop or a Swiffer equipped with a wet pad.
—Jennifer Barger, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Unlike the autonomous vacuum, which uses sensors to roam around your house looking for carpet dirt, Detroit’s first high-tech cleaning machine — dubbed the BeBot, short for beach robot — is operated by a human with a remote control and video-game dexterity.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 10 Apr. 2024
This tells us it's certified to be both dustproof (complete protection against sand, dirt, and dust) and waterproof to a depth of 3 feet for up to 30 minutes.
—PCMAG, 6 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dirt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Dirt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dirt. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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