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dirty

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verb

dirty

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adverb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective dirty differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of dirty are filthy, foul, nasty, and squalid. While all these words mean "conspicuously unclean or impure," dirty emphasizes the presence of dirt more than an emotional reaction to it or, figuratively, stresses meanness or despicableness.

a dirty littered street
don't ask me to do your dirty work

When is it sensible to use filthy instead of dirty?

The words filthy and dirty are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, filthy carries a strong suggestion of offensiveness and typically of gradually accumulated dirt that begrimes and besmears. Figuratively, it can also describe disgusting obscenity.

a stained greasy floor, utterly filthy
filthy street language

When could foul be used to replace dirty?

The meanings of foul and dirty largely overlap; however, foul implies extreme offensiveness and an accumulation of what is rotten or stinking; it can also describe, for example, loathsome behavior.

a foul-smelling open sewer
a foul story of lust and greed

How does the word nasty relate to other synonyms for dirty?

Nasty applies to what is actually foul or is repugnant to one expecting freshness, cleanliness, or sweetness; in practice, however, nasty is often weakened to the point of being no more than a synonym of unpleasant or disagreeable. When used figuratively, nasty implies a peculiarly offensive unpleasantness.

it's a nasty job to clean up after a sick cat
had a nasty fall
his answer gave her a nasty shock
a stand-up comedian known for nasty humor

Where would squalid be a reasonable alternative to dirty?

While the synonyms squalid and dirty are close in meaning, squalid adds to the idea of dirtiness and filth that of slovenly neglect. Distinctively, its figurative use implies sordidness as well as baseness and dirtiness.

squalid slums
engaged in a series of squalid affairs

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of dirty
Adjective
Rockets wing Dillon Brooks called Green a dirty player on Friday. Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2025 In terms of effort and doing the dirty work to help his teammates, Hamilton shines for a defense. Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
Having dirtied himself in the catacombs beneath the papacy’s home, our scrappy archaeologist emerges into none other than a resplendent re-creation of the Sistine Chapel. Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024 Arizona Republic Cool weather and the holiday season may seem like the perfect excuse to cozy up by the fire, but too many blazing yule logs can dirty the air and put some of your neighbors at risk. Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 16 Dec. 2024
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 See All Example Sentences for dirty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dirty
Adjective
  • The new house is now disgustingly filthy and filled with trash and the smell of cat urine.
    Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2025
  • The common areas of the building have been filthy, too: trash all around the grounds and dirty stairwells.
    Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • This social justice kitsch becomes a mildly obscene evocation of racial terrorism.
    Armond White, National Review, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Fifteen years after her husband’s drowning in the nearby bay, Tressilian’s days are spent in a cranky routine: grumbling over the obscene resort stationed on the opposite bluff, reading London’s gossip columns, and summoning the household help with the insistent ringing of a bedroom call bell.
    Erik Morse, Vogue, 15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Which brings me to another important lesson from turbulent times: market timing (still) does not work.
    Jill Schlesinger, Mercury News, 28 Apr. 2025
  • That might be the ultimate takeaway for leaders navigating turbulent times.
    Karl Moore, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • By the time Brunson and Hart were cleared to check back in, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau had a decision to make: call his final timeout, intentionally foul, or wait for a dead ball to make the subs.
    Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2025
  • However, the way this is happening has the vibe of last year’s midseason adjustment, when the NBA decided to enforce foul rules differently and turned the game more physical with time still to go in the regular season.
    The Athletic NBA Staff, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Mingyang took the center of the Octagon from the beginning, landed hard leg kicks, and opened a nasty gash on Smith’s forehead with a step-in elbow.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
  • That is exactly what the Giants need: nastier players on both sides of the ball.
    Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Some cheaper tags don’t have a replaceable battery although some have rechargeable cells.
    Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
  • With police turning a blind eye, Portland became a honeypot for local and out-of-state addicts to score cheap dope and use it freely.
    Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 27 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • With a yellow rubber glove on her right hand, Heintzelman picks up her finished creations and puts them, one by one, back into egg cartons, with the toilet bowl prominently stained in the background.
    Brian Anthony Hernandez, People.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • If Bonhoeffer’s example is used to justify more far-right Christian violence in America, that would be another tragedy — and a cruel irony that would stain the legacy of a man who gave up everything to confront a tyrant.
    John Blake, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Seen from there, the sandstone pylons of Luxor’s temple rose to an open sky, eternally patient in the dusty, pearlescent light.
    Chris Wallace, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Down a dusty street in Jereif West, Fatima Bahlawi, 20 months old, lay wailing in her mother’s arms, waving limbs that were thin as sticks.
    Declan Walsh, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dirty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dirty. Accessed 5 May. 2025.

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