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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of dirtiness
Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 May 2025
Large companies and small and dirty riverside businesses shut up shop, leaving scrub and wasteland.
—Sarah Beckwith, New Yorker, 26 May 2025
Halee Miller Van Ryswyk, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Apr. 2025
Grease dirtied the handles of the ovens, the microwave ovens and the coolers.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 2025
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
The infant was scheduled to be cremated, according to the release, but the body was accidentally taken to Shreveport with a load of dirty linens.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 May 2025
Large companies and small and dirty riverside businesses shut up shop, leaving scrub and wasteland.
—Sarah Beckwith, New Yorker, 26 May 2025
Verb
For example, a small non-shedding dog that rarely goes outside won't dirty a bed nearly as fast as a large labarador that plays outside daily.
—Halee Miller Van Ryswyk, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Apr. 2025
Grease dirtied the handles of the ovens, the microwave ovens and the coolers.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 2025
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
-
After being fired from SNL, Silverman scored a part playing a misunderstood filthy comedy writer on The Larry Sanders Show, Shandling’s classic send-up of the talk-show game.—
Stephen Rodrick,
Rolling Stone,
18 May 2025
-
Who doesn’t rinse out (and ideally wash) a filthy blender filled with milky stuff?—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Venis’s obscene wealth justifies an unbridled narcissism that reflects our worst fears of tech moguls.—
Andrew Wallenstein,
Variety,
28 May 2025
-
In December 2014, a jury convicted Magnotta of first-degree murder, committing an indignity to a human body, publishing obscene material and mailing obscene and indecent material.—
Jessica Sager,
People.com,
25 May 2025
Adjective
-
This time, there’s still some uneasiness around the organization, mainly rooted in its turbulent recent past.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
-
These steps prevent, rather than heal, costly losses that weaken a company’s cash position, especially in turbulent times.—
Dean Kaplan,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
When the ball dinged off the right-field foul pole, a euphoric Crow-Armstrong tossed his bat toward the Cubs dugout and pounded his chest before rounding the bases to celebrate the grand slam and second home run of the game.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2025
-
That didn’t leave enough time to evaluate if Rooker’s double bounced off the wall or the foul pole.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
Well, as referenced above, the United States was coming out of a nasty recession tied to the crisis in the mortgage market.—
Ken Roberts,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
-
Depending on a team to string together hits — or even contact — to score multiple runs in an inning against pitchers with nasty stuff is a hard way to win.—
Ralph D. Russo,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
And even as the price tags continue to rise, there is an argument to be made that NWSL teams remain cheap.—
Brett Knight,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
-
One possible option is a center or third lane with curbs that would require less land to be acquired and be cheaper.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2025
Verb
-
Plus, the matte, two-tone color scheme helps resist staining, maintaining the spoons' stylish appeal over time.—
Toby Rose,
Parents,
22 May 2025
-
Then, once completed, pasting begins, where mud from the henna plant is placed atop the area to stain.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
22 May 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 5 Jun. 2025.
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