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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dirty word
Carpenter made no mention of dropping the dirty words during the show's goodnights.
—
Jillian Sederholm, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025
But renewables is a dirty word under the Trump administration, which has placed a wet blanket over renewable energy projects across the country.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 17 Oct. 2025
At the Abundance movement’s largest-ever gathering, with its manifesto still on the best-seller lists, its biggest champions wrestled openly with its status as a dirty word in US politics.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Learn To Talk About Money Without Apologizing One of the biggest mistakes new professionals make is treating salary like a dirty word.
—Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dirty word
Jillian Sederholm, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025
But renewables is a dirty word under the Trump administration, which has placed a wet blanket over renewable energy projects across the country.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 17 Oct. 2025
At the Abundance movement’s largest-ever gathering, with its manifesto still on the best-seller lists, its biggest champions wrestled openly with its status as a dirty word in US politics.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Learn To Talk About Money Without Apologizing One of the biggest mistakes new professionals make is treating salary like a dirty word.
—Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dirty word
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dirty word
Noun
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In part, this is just a curse of timing for the tournaments being played.—
The Athletic Tennis Staff,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
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In Jujutsu Kaisen, heroic jujutsu sorcerers wage war against demonic creatures called curses and the curse users, who wield jujutsu powers for evil.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In both The Wire and 25th Hour, Whitlock uttered his catchphrase swear.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2025
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Some swear by using coffee grounds to give their Christmas cactus encouragement during the blooming season.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
12 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Nationally, median early career wages range from $40,000 for a foreign language degree to $80,000 for a computer science degree, according to an analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
9 Jan. 2026
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Administration officials have cut that time roughly in half, partly by eliminating Spanish-language courses.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dirty word.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dirty%20word. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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