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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Relevance
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 Another whitetail rips up the ground, sending leaves, sticks, and dirt flying from the community scrape. — Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 10 Sep. 2026 There is a little something called gravity that tends to make all that dust, dirt, and grime all pile up at the end. — Mary Alice Russell, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2026 The 6-foot-6, 238-pounder is basically a gigantic receiver who isn’t afraid to put his hand in the dirt and block. — Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 Shake seeds onto the dirt and the rain will wash them into the ground. — Los Angeles Times, 9 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
  • The vigils, which drew tens of thousands of people a year, were the only large-scale public commemoration on Chinese soil of the Tiananmen crackdown, discussion of which is heavily censored in mainland China.
    — Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 11 Sep. 2026
  • In the panicked days after the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil, New Yorkers agreed that their city had changed forever.
    — Hannah Natanson, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of soil
Noun
  • Fertile lands afforded the capacity to grow export crops that supported farmers and made plantation owners fabulously wealthy.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Before construction began, the lot of land was flat and covered with vegetation.
    — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of land
Noun
  • 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
  • The deep muck provides a cap for the shallow aquifer, helping to clean and filter freshwater that supplies drinking water for Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe and parts of Palm Beach County.
    — Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 27 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
  • In August, the court, powered by its 6-3 conservative majority, blocked an earlier order by that judge on procedural grounds.
    — Reuters, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
  • If voted out, LSU could explore suing the conference on multiple grounds, including breach of contract and tortious interference with contractual relations, and seek many millions of dollars in damages.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of ground
Noun
  • Temperatures are at record highs, currents are shifting and stronger storms wash more pollutants into the water, including sewage and fertilizers, which can trigger huge algae blooms.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
  • In 2023, Rhode Island’s attorney general and environmental agency sued Woonsocket, Jacobs and Synagro, alleging the plant repeatedly discharged partially treated sewage into the nearby Blackstone River beginning in 2022.
    — Mary Spicuzza, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of sewage
Noun
  • 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
  • The distinction between ugliness and vulgarity feels important now.
    — Debbie Millman, Time, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of vulgarity

Phrases Containing dirt

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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 13 Sep. 2026.

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