filthy

1 of 2

adjective

ˈfil-thē 

filthier; filthiest

1

: covered with, containing, or characterized by filth

filthy streets

filthy dishes

2

a

: underhand, vile

b

: obscene

filthy language

filthily

ˈfil-thə-lē 

adverb

filthiness

ˈfil-thē-nəs 

noun

filthy

2 of 2

adverb

1

: in a filthy manner

filthy dirty

2

: very, exceedingly

filthy rich

Synonyms

Adjective

• obscene
• vulgar
• pornographic
• dirty
• nasty
• foul
• gross

Adverb

• extremely
• very
• incredibly
• terribly
• damned
• damn
• highly
• badly
• too
• so
• desperately
• severely
• jolly
• really
• super
• full
• seriously
• far

Choose the Right Synonym for filthy

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 filthy in a Sentence

Adjective

She's in a filthy mood.

you cannot use such filthy language on the public airwaves

Adverb

the invention made him filthy rich

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The room was filthy, prescription bottles around the room, one bed with no sheets. —Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 27 June 2025

Photograph: Chris Null As anyone who’s ever stuck a cotton swab in there knows, your ear canal is a filthy, disgusting place. —Christopher Null, Wired News, 22 June 2025

His jab-step game was filthy out of triple-threat situations, and his mid-post game was already incredibly developed for a teenager. —Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 19 June 2025

Troubled Factories: The medications came mostly from plants in India where inspectors found contaminated drugs, filthy labs and falsified records. —Debbie Cenziper, ProPublica, 17 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing filthy

• filthy dirty
• filthy rich

Kids Definition

filthy

adjective

ˈfil-thē

filthier; filthiest

1

: covered with or containing filth : disgustingly dirty

2

a

: underhand entry 2 sense 1, evil

b

: obscene sense 2

filthily

-thə-lē

adverb

filthiness

-thē-nəs

noun