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
Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 6 Jan. 2026
The Hannah Montana alum wore her dirty blonde tresses in natural waves with full fringe, while her makeup consisted of taupe eye shadow, muted blush, and lip gloss.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 5 Jan. 2026
Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
At Dilara Findikoglu, models looked like ladies in waiting that had risen from the dead; wearing antiquated corsetry that was dirtied and torn.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dirty
Adjective
Logsdon told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in December 2025 that the move represents a dirty political trick.
—Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 6 Jan. 2026
The Hannah Montana alum wore her dirty blonde tresses in natural waves with full fringe, while her makeup consisted of taupe eye shadow, muted blush, and lip gloss.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 5 Jan. 2026
Verb
The ashes from the crematorium chimney covered the streets, sooted the rain, dirtied the snow, damaged the crops, infected every body.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
At Dilara Findikoglu, models looked like ladies in waiting that had risen from the dead; wearing antiquated corsetry that was dirtied and torn.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dirty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dirty
Adjective
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Merry Christmas ya filthy animals.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
26 Dec. 2025
-
In other words, Cunha’s job is to convince the Americans now running the federal government to give Brown’s motley crew of gender-benders, anti-Semites and filthy-rich legacies a good leaving alone.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
24 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Banners containing commercial, political or obscene material, or that block guest views.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
4 Nov. 2025
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Just another week in the world of Ball, who was fined $35,000 by the NBA on Monday for making an obscene gesture in the fourth quarter of the Hornets’ 144-117 loss to Miami.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Use extra caution near the surf zone as these large waves will be capable of sweeping people into the frigid and turbulent ocean water.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
7 Jan. 2026
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The story of the Platonic representation hypothesis paper began in early 2023, a turbulent time for AI researchers.—
Ben Brubaker,
Quanta Magazine,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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With about six minutes remaining in the second half, fans reacted unfavorably to a foul call against Spartans forward Jaxson Kohler.—
Devon Henderson,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
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But the Warriors were unable to also overcome Curry piling up four fourth-quarter fouls, which led to his first foul-out since 2021.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The growth of passive investing, through index funds found in the 401(k) accounts of average Americans, has propped up the stock market while also potentially setting it up for a nasty fall.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
7 Nov. 2025
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Instead of this stuff that's raised overseas that's done in ways that doesn't have any checks, that it's got polluted water, it's being fed really nasty stuff, full of antibiotics, full of chemicals.—
Dan Morrison,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China have designed a new sodium-sulfur battery with higher power density and discharge capacity than before, enabling a cheaper, safer alternative to lithium-ion batteries.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
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Fentanyl is cheap, compact, and lethal at microscopic doses, produced through decentralized networks designed to survive disruption.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
9 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
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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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Scorched and stained pots and pans almost always require scraping and scouring, and cast-iron skillets can rust when soaked.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
6 Nov. 2025
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Julia Fox's costume consisted of a pink suit stained with fake blood, meant to resemble the former first lady shortly after the assassination of her husband.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dirty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dirty. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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