dirty

1 of 3

adjective

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
(1)
: indecent, vulgar
dirty jokes
a dirty movie
(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
4
: foggy, stormy
dirty weather
5
a
of color : not clear and bright : dullish
dirty blond
b
music : characterized by a husky, rasping, or raw tonal quality
dirty trumpet tones
6
: conveying ill-natured resentment
gave him a dirty look
dirtily adverb
dirtiness noun

dirty

2 of 3

adverb

dirtier; dirtiest
: in a dirty (see dirty entry 1) manner: such as
a
: deceptively, underhandedly
fight dirty
b
: indecently
talk dirty

dirty

3 of 3

verb

dirtied; dirtying

transitive verb

1
: to soil with a substance (such as mud or grime) : to make dirty (see dirty entry 1)
dirtied my new shoes
2
a
: to stain with dishonor : sully
tried to dirty his reputation
b
: to debase by distorting the real nature of
… their religion took most of the rural whites' pleasures away from them, dirtying sex and the human body until it was a nasty thing …Lillian Smith
Choose the Right Synonym for dirty

dirty, filthy, foul, nasty, squalid mean conspicuously unclean or impure.

dirty emphasizes the presence of dirt more than an emotional reaction to it.

a dirty littered street

filthy carries a strong suggestion of offensiveness and typically of gradually accumulated dirt that begrimes and besmears.

a stained greasy floor, utterly filthy

foul implies extreme offensiveness and an accumulation of what is rotten or stinking.

a foul-smelling open sewer

nasty applies to what is actually foul or is repugnant to one expecting freshness, cleanliness, or sweetness.

it's a nasty job to clean up after a sick cat

In practice, nasty is often weakened to the point of being no more than a synonym of unpleasant or disagreeable.

had a nasty fall
his answer gave her a nasty shock

squalid adds to the idea of dirtiness and filth that of slovenly neglect.

squalid slums

All these terms are also applicable to moral uncleanness or baseness or obscenity.

dirty then stresses meanness or despicableness

don't ask me to do your dirty work

, while filthy and foul describe disgusting obscenity or loathsome behavior

filthy street language
a foul story of lust and greed

, and nasty implies a peculiarly offensive unpleasantness.

a stand-up comedian known for nasty humor

Distinctively, squalid implies sordidness as well as baseness and dirtiness.

engaged in a series of squalid affairs

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
Adjective
Use two tablespoons for a light load and four tablespoons for a large or dirty load. Caitlin Sole, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Mar. 2024 There are charges for dirtier vehicles and for driving into the city center. Andrew Kersley, WIRED, 19 Mar. 2024 Where some of the dirtiest air is found The four most polluted countries in IQAir’s ranking for 2023 — Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Tajikistan — are in South and Central Asia. Delger Erdenesanaa, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024 Unfortunately, despite the aspirations of the Wisconsin Idea, UW-Madison’s research prowess has stayed locked up by an insular culture that assigned the dirty job of commercializing research to the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF). Kathleen Gallagher, Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024 Whereas Palm Beach is a very synthetic environment, where nobody is actually working with their hands or getting dirty. Ingrid Schmidt, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2024 Additionally, the vacuum is outfitted with a dual tank system — one for clean water and a cleansing solution and another for dirty water and collected messes. Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024 The Vatican condemned the video, which featured the stigmata-rocking superstar engaged in dirty thoughts about a saint, causing Pepsi to cancel its sponsorship deal. Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 10 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, six food-serving facilities including a hotel and a convenience store received yellow placards due to violations such as black slime, moldy strawberries, dirty shelves and a dying cockroach. Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 8 Mar. 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.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see dirt

Adverb

see dirt

Verb

see dirt

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

circa 1931, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1591, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dirty was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near dirty

Cite this Entry

“Dirty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dirty. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dirty

1 of 2 adjective
dirtier; dirtiest
1
: not clean
dirty clothes
dirty air
2
: unfair sense 1, dishonorable
a dirty trick
3
: indecent, vulgar
dirty jokes
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
dirtily adverb
dirtiness noun

dirty

2 of 2 verb
dirtied; dirtying
: to make or become dirty

Medical Definition

dirty

adjective
dirtier; dirtiest
: contaminated with infecting organisms
dirty wounds

More from Merriam-Webster on dirty

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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