dirty

1 of 3

adjective

ˈdər-tē

dirtier; dirtiest

: not clean or pure

dirty clothes

dirty fingernails

: likely to befoul or defile with a soiling substance (such as mud, dust, or grime)

dirty jobs

: contaminated with infecting organisms

dirty wounds

: containing impurities

dirty coal

: morally unclean or corrupt: such as

(1)

: indecent, vulgar

dirty jokes

a dirty movie

(2)

: dishonorable, base

a dirty trick

(3)

: unsportsmanlike

dirty players

: acquired by disreputable or illegal means : ill-gotten

dirty money

: disagreeable, distasteful, or objectionable but usually necessary (as in achieving a desired result)

hired a thug to do their dirty work

: abominable, hateful

war is a dirty business

: highly regrettable

a dirty shame

: likely to cause disgrace or scandal

dirty little secrets

: foggy, stormy

dirty weather

of color : not clear and bright : dullish

dirty blond

music : characterized by a husky, rasping, or raw tonal quality

dirty trumpet tones

: conveying ill-natured resentment

gave him a dirty look

dirtily

ˈdər-tə-lē

adverb

dirtiness

ˈdər-tē-nəs

noun

dirty

2 of 3

adverb

dirtier; dirtiest

: in a dirty (see dirty entry 1) manner: such as

: deceptively, underhandedly

fight dirty

: indecently

talk dirty

dirty

3 of 3

verb

dirtied; dirtying

transitive verb

: to soil with a substance (such as mud or grime) : to make dirty (see dirty entry 1)

dirtied my new shoes

: to stain with dishonor : sully

tried to dirty his reputation

: 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

intransitive verb

: to become soiled

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

Example Sentences

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The nurse, Russian, shot him a dirty look, the look of a woman tired of men.

Nicole Krauss, The New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2022 The Carns family, from Orland Park, was leaving with a very happy 2-year-old, evident by his dirty hands.

Hannah Kohut, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2022 To the untrained eye, these unremarkable slides seem filthy—each looks like it’s been smudged by dirty fingers.

Jack Tamisiea, WIRED, 24 Sep. 2022 While there are specialized cleaners, these are usually reserved for very dirty and stuck-on grime situations.

Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Sep. 2022 Tall grass, dirty clothes and weeds poke from muddy ground where at one time there was a lawn in East Price Hill.

cincinnati.com, 22 Sep. 2022 The public denigrated them as dirty and crime-prone — a threat to the good life.

Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2022 And that little dirty fact is how Diem got into the garbage business.

The Indianapolis Star, 20 Sep. 2022 As the captain of the Jackass franchise, Knoxville certainly knows a thing or two about dirty humor.

Christian Holub, EW.com, 19 Sep. 2022

Adverb

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 breeze and warm summer air banished moisture and the need to dirty and wash another device.

New York Times, 19 July 2022 Markings on the cup are extra helpful for quick and easy prep, as there's no need to dirty any measuring cups or spoons in the process.

Brigitt Earley, Good Housekeeping, 25 May 2022 Jones includes a recipe for baked pasta that requires you to dirty exactly one pan — a casserole dish — and a small mixing bowl for the topping.

Washington Post, 16 Jan. 2022 Dislikes: Anything that will dirty her pristine white coat.

Scottie Andrew, CNN, 25 Nov. 2021 Refinery emissions dirty the air from the harbor area to the Inland Empire, and regulators have taken too long to get serious about curbing them.

Laura Blasey, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2021 Why not dirty them up with the clink of steak knives, Mason jars (holding beer) and some live music at Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown? 21.

Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2021 Because oil does not need to be melted and then cooled, or creamed for 5 minutes until fluffy, and is instead added straight-up to the recipe’s wet ingredients, assembly is faster and there is no need to dirty a saucepan or pull out your mixer.

Washington Post, 23 June 2021 Another student complained the boy’s skin would dirty up the crayons.

BostonGlobe.com, 7 July 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dirty.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.