as in curse
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression
I'm afraid I won't be much help on the trip—the only Spanish I know is a handful of dirty words
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Recent Examples of dirty word
It’s viewed by Hollywood artists as a dirty word.
—
Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
Plastic is a dirty word here, and the resort has virtually banned it throughout.
—Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Jan. 2026
Regime change isn’t a dirty word when the regime is among the most vicious in the world.
—Garry Kasparov, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
In the larger construct, disinformation really is a dirty word.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dirty word
Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
Plastic is a dirty word here, and the resort has virtually banned it throughout.
—Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Jan. 2026
Regime change isn’t a dirty word when the regime is among the most vicious in the world.
—Garry Kasparov, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
In the larger construct, disinformation really is a dirty word.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dirty word
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dirty word
Noun
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Chants laced with curses echo through Madison Square Garden.—
Albert Samaha,
Washington Post,
3 June 2026
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Courtside seats at Madison Square Garden for Games 3 and 4 will be the most expensive tickets in NBA history as the Knicks try to end their 53-year championship curse against the greatest physical force ever in basketball.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
Noun
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The event finds more than 20,000 people participating in an annual bar crawl throughout the city while dressed in their best holiday attire, tackiest Santa Claus costumes, and ugliest Christmas swears.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
15 Apr. 2026
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Kennedy could be heard hurling swears at the Swedish team.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The titular bear, who communicates with the girl through language—seemingly telepathic—plays a crucial role in her survival.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
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The term English learners is defined by the Illinois State Board of Education as students who do not meet certain English proficiency standards and whose home language background is a language other than English.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dirty word.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dirty%20word. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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