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
In the larger construct, disinformation really is a dirty word.
—
Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025
Even in Hollywood, A-listers like Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Alba, and Katy Perry are soft-launching their post-divorce boyfriends on Instagram and being cheered on for it, showing that maybe divorce—and the fact that a woman has a right to a full and happy life afterwards—is no longer a dirty word.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 14 Nov. 2025
The all-or-nothing approach that has taken hold in Washington, which treats compromise as a dirty word, is the root cause of the dysfunction.
—The Detroit News Editorial Board, Twin Cities, 6 Nov. 2025
The man never, never, never says a dirty word.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dirty word
Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025
Even in Hollywood, A-listers like Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Alba, and Katy Perry are soft-launching their post-divorce boyfriends on Instagram and being cheered on for it, showing that maybe divorce—and the fact that a woman has a right to a full and happy life afterwards—is no longer a dirty word.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 14 Nov. 2025
The all-or-nothing approach that has taken hold in Washington, which treats compromise as a dirty word, is the root cause of the dysfunction.
—The Detroit News Editorial Board, Twin Cities, 6 Nov. 2025
The man never, never, never says a dirty word.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dirty word
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dirty word
Noun
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At the beginning of her music career, Jordan was (rightfully) hailed as a prodigy—a blessing and a curse.—
Grace Robins-Somerville,
Pitchfork,
30 Mar. 2026
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Meeting Rachel’s parents and getting that backstory leads her into discovering this family curse.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Kennedy could be heard hurling swears at the Swedish team.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
23 Feb. 2026
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And Boring would be that much closer to its 90,000-rider pinkie-swear.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Speech-language pathologists work with people who have disorders involving speech, language and swallowing, sometimes from injuries, medical conditions or developmental delays.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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Once each semester, Grit Matthias Phelps, a German language instructor at Cornell University, introduces her students to the raw feeling of typing without online assistance.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dirty word.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dirty%20word. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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