dirty word
noun
: a word, expression, or idea that is disagreeable or unpopular in a particular frame of reference
Examples of dirty word in a Sentence
The movie is just a lot of sex, violence, and dirty words.
They regard “taxes” as a dirty word.
The way he acts, you'd think compassion was a dirty word.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sometimes nostalgia can be a dirty word, and Tiga avoids a wholesale rehash of his earlier work by recalibrating his sound to incorporate multiple other electronic genres.
—
Cameron Cook, Pitchfork, 20 Apr. 2026
And got to Oura and pivoted into software right before that became a little bit of a dirty word.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Too many in the media see conservatism as a dirty word.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2026
It’s viewed by Hollywood artists as a dirty word.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dirty word
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cameron Cook, Pitchfork, 20 Apr. 2026
And got to Oura and pivoted into software right before that became a little bit of a dirty word.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Too many in the media see conservatism as a dirty word.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2026
It’s viewed by Hollywood artists as a dirty word.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dirty word
Cite this Entry
“Dirty word.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dirty%20word. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
