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. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Season Three adapts Herron’s novel Real Tigers, where Jackson Lamb — the filthy, flatulent, surprisingly tenacious head of Slough House, played with a hilarious lack of vanity by Gary Oldman — and his team appear to be collateral damage from a dirty piece of old MI-5 business. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 29 Nov. 2023 Doyle chose a deep, farmhouse-style sink that would keep dirty dishes out of sight. Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 28 Nov. 2023 For travelers who know their clothes are going to get dirty, the Kind Laundry Vegan Stain Remover Bar gives your on-the-go laundromat a little extra oomph. Katherine Alex Beaven, Travel + Leisure, 27 Nov. 2023 Long before the Industrial Revolution, the United Kingdom was burning a lot of coal and London was an extremely dirty place—like, actually blackened. Matt Simon, WIRED, 27 Nov. 2023 But Take Note: Its light colors may look dirty easily. Tanya Edwards, Parents, 25 Nov. 2023 The bag has all the functionality a parent-on-the-go could want, including a changing pad with a pocket for wipes and diapers, an odor-proof pouch for those stinky diapers or dirty duds, a teething ring, and a pacifier pouch. Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 24 Nov. 2023 It’s beautifully designed, but its hardware still somehow fails to actually take the practical realities of our dirty, messy world into account. Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 21 Nov. 2023 There are also plenty of duffel and weekender bags that offer a separate compartment for sneakers or dirty clothes. Sarah Kester, Travel + Leisure, 16 Nov. 2023
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
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 The children of San Lorenzo, who had taken to throwing vegetables out the window and dirtying the walls, now love to wash their hands and set the table, handling the ceramic tableware with care. Rivka Galchen, Harper's Magazine, 7 Jan. 2022 See More

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 5 Dec. 2023.

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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