DOWN AND DIRTY Synonyms: 41 Similar and Opposite Words

down and dirty

adjective

Definition of down and dirty

as in impromptu

made or done without previous thought or preparation hoisting aloft the down and dirty sign that we had just made, we joined the protest

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of down and dirty The Wilson, North Carolina native can get as down and dirty as your regular country boy and can also fit in among the greats. — Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 6 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for down and dirty

Adjective

By the finale, Joanne had converted and the two had an impromptu wedding on the beach, while the duo’s siblings, Sasha (Timothy Simons) and Morgan (Justine Lupe), had embarked on a complicated romance.

— Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2026
The Ravens are starting third string QB Joe Fagnano, who is nursing an ankle on a short week after his impromptu debut in Buffalo.

— Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of impromptu

Adjective

The free event allows musicians to collaborate in front of an audience while giving visitors an opportunity to experience the improvisational tradition that helped establish Kansas City’s reputation as a jazz capital.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 5 Nov. 2026
The New Stanford Prison Experiment, Netflix’s take on a project that was always more convincing as improvisational theater than as scientific research, isn’t even television’s first crack at Zimbardo’s study.

— Judy Berman, Time, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of improvisational

Adjective

Carlos Montenegro California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Prison officials did not provided details on the circumstances of the attack but said two improvised weapons were found at the scene.

— Senior Editor, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
Prison staff discovered two improvised weapons at the scene, according to CDCR.

— Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of improvised

Browse Nearby Words

down

down and dirty

down-and-out

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Down and dirty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/down%20and%20dirty. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of down and dirty

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

boilerplate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes