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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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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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of dirty
Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2026
Fuel lines and filters can also get all gummed up due to dirty fuel and may need to be replaced at the shop.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 1 Feb. 2026
Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
Finally, crumbs or spills that dirty the ice bin will make your ice look and taste less than appealing.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dirty
Adjective
Her playing hard was getting dirty and working the land and planting seeds and cutting the flowers and the vegetables and then taking them and cooking something.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2026
Fuel lines and filters can also get all gummed up due to dirty fuel and may need to be replaced at the shop.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 1 Feb. 2026
Verb
Amazon shoppers are also going after this top-selling nonstick frying pan that’s great for eggs, chicken breasts, and other hard-to-flip foods, as well as this immersion blender that can churn soups and sauces into a creamy texture without dirtying another vessel.
—Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
Finally, crumbs or spills that dirty the ice bin will make your ice look and taste less than appealing.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dirty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dirty
Adjective
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Over the last several seasons of the Movies Fantasy League, the one thing that’s been more consistent than the movies, the awards, or Timmy Chalamet scoring a hit in December has been all you players coming up with some of the most clever, goofy, dumb, sometimes filthy names for your teams.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Traditional mops move filthy water, conventional vacuums push fine dust back into the air and cleaning cloths need to be rinsed to maintain hygienic conditions.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Weiner pled guilty to transferring obscene material to a minor in 2017 and spent 15 months in federal prison for the crime.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
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Texas Tech’s student section directed an obscene chant at Kansas’ Darryn Peterson as the freshman guard prepared to shoot a free throw late in the first half of the Jayhawks’ 64-61 victory over the Red Raiders on Monday night at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Described as more of a tonal companion to The Worm than a direct continuation, The Answerers is equal parts existential thriller and absurdist comedy, exploring belief, delusion and the human need for meaning in an increasingly turbulent modern world.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
30 Jan. 2026
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One analyst argues that Bitcoin could sink even more, given the turbulent macroeconomic environment.—
Carlos Garcia,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Gamers will know Brok as the beloved weapons dealer with an unrivaled artistry for creative, foul-mouthed curses.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2026
-
For starters, 50-foot foul poles were added at each end of the field and work was done in both bullpens.—
Danny Davis,
Austin American Statesman,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Microsoft took months to fix Remote Desktop disconnection issues, then shipped a Windows Update that wiped out Copilot, and released updates that duplicated the Task Manager and created a nasty system recovery bug.—
Tom Warren,
The Verge,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Those might have increased here because of weak data, like the nasty drop in consumer confidence yesterday, or because of the expectation a new Fed chair will be more dovish.—
Kelly Evans,
CNBC,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The older one does Warners cartoon bits, really old-fashioned, cheap-ass funny vaudeville stuff.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
30 Jan. 2026
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Amazon’s selection, however, renewed my faith in cheap-and-cheerful bottoms.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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From fragmented records to corruptible datasets and the general noise across social media, agentic systems are facing a trust and truth crisis at the most fundamental level.—
Lawrence Wintermeyer,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Iran prefers weak allies over strong ones, and corrupt and corruptible governments over ones that respond to their citizens’ needs.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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His house in Minneapolis sits between two neighborhoods stained by bloodshed where Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti were killed by federal immigration officers during a surge of immigration enforcement that has ignited outrage and protests across the country.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
2 Feb. 2026
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The shrine is Canton is demeaned and the Class of ‘26 stained.—
Greg Cote
February 1,
Miami Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dirty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dirty. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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