1
as in dustiness
the state or quality of being dirty
the health inspector took the manager to task over the general dirtiness of the restaurant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in grossness
the quality or state of being obscene
the incontestable dirtiness of the film demands an adult rating
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in filthy
not clean
after working in the factory all day, his clothes are very dirty
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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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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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as in illegally
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of dirtiness
ArsTechnica, 6 May 2025
The city was bankrupt, dirty, and dangerous but also teeming with artistic voices.
—Air Mail, 3 May 2025
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
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 dirtiness
Adjective
For tech companies struggling to secure reliable energy supplies to power and train AI, a clampdown on renewables could create power bottlenecks, drive up costs, and push operators towards dirtier energy, experts said.
—ArsTechnica, 6 May 2025
The city was bankrupt, dirty, and dangerous but also teeming with artistic voices.
—Air Mail, 3 May 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 dirtiness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dirtiness
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
-
The investigation began when detectives with the Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit served a search warrant in Bakersfield based on a tip about a person who was in possession and used obscene material involving an underage girl, authorities announced in a news release on Tuesday.—
Nathan Solis,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2025
-
With his plea, a federal indictment relating to transfer of obscene material to a minor would not be pursued.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
5 May 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
-
Millions of Americans have experienced foul car odors from dirty air filters.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
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
-
The apps have a nasty trick that fools users into the initial download, and once on a phone, the damage is done.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
-
He’s been the spirit of the Panthers’ skillfully nasty style the previous two springs.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
8 May 2025
Adjective
-
Tesla troubles: Amid tough year, Tesla releases a new, cheaper version of the Model Y Is the 2025 Tesla Model Y a good SUV to get?—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
-
High energy costs overall are due to a number of factors, including inefficiencies, losses, theft, inflation, and quirks of long-term contracts that result in the utility paying for more expensive power sources even when cheaper ones are available.—
Christine Ro,
Forbes.com,
9 May 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
Noun
-
An earnest, has-a-costume-for-everything kind of guy, Daub is allergic to the greige and the dinge.—
Sandra Upson,
Wired,
18 Jan. 2021
-
Dinges said the two crewmembers whose sleep remained steady -- even in the absence of conventional daylight -- were those who kept to a strict schedule and found other ways to control their biological clocks.—
Michael Nedelman,
CNN,
1 June 2017
Cite this Entry
“Dirtiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dirtiness. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
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