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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 The only pedestrians passing by one vacant dirt lot near 6th Street were a couple of teens on BMX bikes wearing smoke-blocking face masks. — Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026 Wor$t Girl embraces dirt and dark thoughts alongside abrasive tones, giving its euphoric hooks weight, as though a wild night out is almost crucial to the artist’s well-being. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 July 2026 For instance, inside the skunks’ pen, a cat litter box was filled with dirt, leaves and other natural substrate. — Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026 Officers found Gatz’s SUV under a canopy structure in the woods, about half a mile down a two-way dirt trail, the statements allege. — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 8 July 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
  • Alford also commented on the recent Supreme Court decision upholding the long-standing interpretation that anyone born on American soil is an American citizen.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026
  • German rockets launching from Canadian soil may be a bridge to that until Canadian companies can develop their own boosters.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026
Definition of soil
Noun
  • Played by the talented Halle Bailey, young mermaid Ariel yearns to be on land, has the hots for Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) – who at least gets a character arc this time – and agrees to a bad deal with witchy Ursula (Melissa McCarthy).
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 July 2026
  • El Dorado Hills is one step closer to cityhood — and greater influence on land use — as its draft environmental study appeared before the community services district’s board Thursday night.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of land
Noun
  • Rescuers were able to pull the woman out of the muck and rushed her to a local hospital, where she was treated for severe dehydration, prolonged sun exposure and other injuries.
    — Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026
  • No wonder Yard Act realized music is the lifeline that just might pull us back out of the muck.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 25 June 2026
Definition of muck
Noun
  • 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
  • There are no great surprises from here on out, though the sheer, lusty grossness of the fallout is occasionally startling.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
Definition of grossness
Noun
  • When not elbow-deep in dino dung or outrunning raptors, Laura Dern's heartfelt performance in Jurassic Park shows why women really deserve to inherit the Earth — and all of the acting awards.
    — Huntley Woods, Entertainment Weekly, 11 June 2026
  • The team ended up with a jar of elephant dung scent.
    — RJ Mackenzie, Popular Science, 11 June 2026
Definition of dung
Noun
  • Changes included a longer project timeline, uncertainty over whether the developers could provide community amenities such as a pool and less profitable ground lease terms, according to the district.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • Now that space is a market and not just a proving ground, the engineering that was once the whole game is only the cost of entry — and as in any maturing market, most ventures will not make it past that threshold.
    — Charlotte Kiang, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of ground
Noun
  • The theory is that the deluge, which broke January daily rainfall records for Sydney, flushed sewage and other waste into the nearby coastal waters, attracting baitfish, which in turn lured sharks closer to shore.
    — Sam Nichols, Scientific American, 8 July 2026
  • Haverhill installed a second bypass line to help better control the flow of sewage after two breaks and a massive sewage overflow for five days last week, helping secure the system as more rains threatened the temporary bypass Tuesday.
    — Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 7 July 2026
Definition of sewage
Noun
  • The once-vaunted values of public life are now reduced to the lower standards of private life—venality, vulgarity, rudeness, incontinence, and ignorance.
    — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
  • Benoit delights in language as much as her heroine, weaving Regency-era slang throughout and appending a chapter-by-chapter glossary of vulgarities.
    — Angelina Mazza, Vulture, 19 June 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 12 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of dirt for Spanish Speakers

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