1
as in filthy
not clean
after working in the factory all day, his clothes are very dirty
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in obscene
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society
some radio stations refused to play the song because of the dirty lyrics
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3
as in turbulent
marked by wet and windy conditions
they were unknowingly sailing into dirty weather
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4
as in foul
not being in accordance with the rules or standards of what is fair in sport
the school is known for the dirty football it plays
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in nasty
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency
accused the other campaign of playing dirty tricks
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6
as in cheap
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
laying off longtime employees was a dirty way for the company to reduce labor costs and save money
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7
as in corruptible
open to improper influence and especially bribery
a movie about a dirty cop paid to protect a mafioso
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as in to stain
to make dirty
she dirtied her new sneakers when she splashed in the puddle
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in illegally
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dirty
Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026
The Bay Area’s biggest weather question heading into the weekend is whether the slight change in the pattern that has turned a sunny-and-dirty sky into a cloudier-and-cleaner one will usher in rain eventually.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
Finally, crumbs or spills that dirty the ice bin will make your ice look and taste less than appealing.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dirty
Adjective
Schlepping my dirty clothes to the laundromat around the corner to clean them.
—Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026
The Bay Area’s biggest weather question heading into the weekend is whether the slight change in the pattern that has turned a sunny-and-dirty sky into a cloudier-and-cleaner one will usher in rain eventually.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
Verb
Amazon shoppers are also going after this top-selling nonstick frying pan that’s great for eggs, chicken breasts, and other hard-to-flip foods, as well as this immersion blender that can churn soups and sauces into a creamy texture without dirtying another vessel.
—Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
Finally, crumbs or spills that dirty the ice bin will make your ice look and taste less than appealing.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dirty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dirty
Adjective
-
Sauron was bested by some filthy Hobbitses and their pal, Gollum.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Slightly less filthy than the ones on the balcony, those bricks could have used a coat of paint.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Not only are hospital CEOs paid obscene amounts of money and the hospitals are sitting on fat cash balances, but NewYork–Presbyterian is guilty of something even more grotesque.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Some made obscene gestures, and one held up a paper cursing the president.—
Josh Boak,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Governors in more than a dozen states sounded the alarm about the turbulent weather ahead, declaring emergencies or urging people to stay home.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Recent times have been turbulent.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Down 117-112 with less than five seconds remaining, Boston got another triple from Pritchard and a gift from Traore, who missed a foul shot that would have put the game away.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
24 Jan. 2026
-
And Texas has just two foul shots, a season-low for a half.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
As many of us can attest, this slick layer of ice can lead to nasty falls.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The Patriots, who pursued signing Stidham this offseason as a free agent, will have something nasty in store for the longtime reserve.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Currently, the cheapest EVs in Europe sell for about twice that.—
Neil Winton,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
There has been a gradual decline in popularity of pricier, wooden furniture over years as manufacturers found cheaper alternatives to make tables, dressers, bed frames, desks, and more.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
From fragmented records to corruptible datasets and the general noise across social media, agentic systems are facing a trust and truth crisis at the most fundamental level.—
Lawrence Wintermeyer,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Iran prefers weak allies over strong ones, and corrupt and corruptible governments over ones that respond to their citizens’ needs.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Wearing kitchen gloves to keep your hands from staining, knead 7 oz.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
In testing on human teeth that were artificially stained with tea and coffee, the researchers found that a total of four hours of brushing showed visible whitening, while 12 total hours of brushing led to teeth that were nearly 50% whiter than those in a control group.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dirty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dirty. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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