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dirt

noun

ˈdərt How to pronounce dirt (audio)
Definition of dirtnext
1
as in soil
the loose surface material in which plants naturally grow dig into the dirt to a depth of about three inches

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2
as in land
the solid part of our planet's surface as distinguished from the sea and air at the first sound of gunfire we hit the dirt

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3
as in muck
foul matter that mars the purity or cleanliness of something there's some dirt on your shoes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in grossness
the quality or state of being obscene appalled by the dirt in the author's novels

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in dung
solid matter discharged from an animal's alimentary canal tread carefully, as there's cow dirt all over the pasture

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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 dirt Always wash produce thoroughly, using methods like vinegar soaks for dirt and pests. — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Sep. 2026 Some drives are rated as drop-proof (HDDs are more vulnerable to tumbles than SSDs), shock-proof, or crush-proof; an ingress protection (IP) rating denotes protection from dust, dirt, and water. — George Yang, PC Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026 The scientists surmised that this occurs because lunar dirt, called regolith, that piled up around the crater as a result of the impact is less dense and therefore less able to retain heat. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026 Oribe Hair Alchemy Strengthening Shampoo Made without SLS or SLES (chemical detergents that make products foam up, and remove oil and dirt), Oribe’s Hair Alchemy Strengthening Shampoo is built for fragile, breakage-prone hair. — Valeriya Chupinina, Vogue, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dirt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dirt
  1. soil
  2. land
  3. muck
  4. grossness
  5. dung
  6. ground
  7. sewage
  8. vulgarity
Noun
  • Key Takeaways Aeration improves soil health by reducing compaction and helping nutrients reach grass roots.
    — Lauren David, Southern Living, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The project explores how hydroponic growing—which grows crops in water instead of soil—and AI can reduce cotton’s reliance on these resources.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of soil
Noun
  • After heading away from land, Polo was forecast to hook back toward Mexico's coast further north on Saturday.
    — MEGAN JANETSKY, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Global food demand is expected to continue rising toward mid-century while agricultural land and water remain constrained.
    — Aidan Connolly, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of land
Noun
  • As feminists fought patriarchy’s attempt to render women vulnerable socially and leave us dependent on men for money and more, the all-too-human inevitability of vulnerability and dependence got lost in the muck.
    — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The film could have only benefited from narrowing its scope away from all the government muck, an attempt to flesh out a mythology for its villains that are scarier simply as faceless, mysterious weapons of mass destruction.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of muck
Noun
  • But Paddy’s isn’t Sudz, and the Gang’s efforts to soft-pedal their antics to be more in line with those mainstream bars devolved into typical Sunny-style hostility and off-putting grossness.
    — Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 28 July 2026
  • All your Dad has to do is fill it and drink—the microfilter membrane will do the rest by removing chlorine odors, dirt, bacteria, and any other grossness floating around in there.
    — Francesca Krempa, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2026
Definition of grossness
Noun
  • In southern India, for example, villagers are allowing – and even paying – herders to use their land in exchange for dung, the natural fertilizer that farmers need to produce higher-value organic crops.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Behind the cookline equipment, the rodent dung shared space with 20 dead roaches.
    — David J. Neal July 24, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
Definition of dung
Noun
  • Just be aware that the ship covers a lot of ground on some of these routes.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Blanch estimates at least 350 million barrels have disappeared from the global above-ground oil inventories since levels peaked in March.
    — Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of ground
Noun
  • Newsom also issued separate emergency proclamations Monday for earlier storm damage in Glenn, Humboldt, Kern, Mendocino and Santa Barbara counties, along with a major sewage spill in Lake County.
    — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Sacramento County Health Inspectors gave a red placard to a Sacramento Arby’s for health food violations including sewage overflow.
    — Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of sewage
Noun
  • Community outrage about the image, along with online posts calling the mayor a host of vulgarities, spilled into a recent council meeting and is inflaming political divisions within College Park.
    — Reed Williams, AJC.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • In a sprightly performance rife with oddball mannerisms, Gnecco gives Borges equal parts impish wisdom, earthy vulgarity and childlike wonder, rarely letting a moment’s silence go unfilled with eager chatter.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of vulgarity

Phrases Containing dirt

Browse Nearby Words

dirks
dirt
dirtbag
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Cite this Entry

“Dirt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dirt. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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