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

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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

Spelling noted that Swank returned from an impromptu meeting with show producer Paul Waigner.

— Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 30 July 2026
Hansard was also the organizer behind what became known as the Christmas Eve Busk, impromptu performances on Grafton Street in Dublin to raise money for the homeless community.

— Katie Kindelan, ABC News, 29 July 2026

Definition of impromptu

Adjective

This reflects the improvisational attitude that Pan, who has released several albums, first developed as a genre-defying musician and composer.

— News Desk, Artforum, 31 July 2026
Kiesler and his heirs envisioned architecture that would make the arts more available, provisional, improvisational, democratic, and participatory, more playful and less aloof.

— Justin Davidson, Curbed, 29 July 2026

Definition of improvisational

Adjective

Likewise, the respite afforded by the twin hydration breaks has also reduced the need for improvised periods of gentlemanly repose, which in turn has lessened the demand for the chilly spray.

— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 July 2026
Outside hospitals, temporary shelters and improvised morgues, relatives continue posting photographs and names of missing family members on social media, hoping someone might recognize them or provide information about their fate.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 4 July 2026

Definition of improvised

Adjective

In effect, many universities appear to be replacing ad hoc decision-making with governance rules that are more predictable—and more defensible.

— Scott White, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Successive leaders after 2016 failed to develop a clear post-Brexit doctrine, relying instead on an ad hoc balancing act between an Atlantic path, more cooperation with European partners and strategic autonomy.

— Garret Martin, The Conversation, 31 July 2026

Definition of ad hoc

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down

down and dirty

down-and-out

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“Down and dirty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/down%20and%20dirty. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of down and dirty

adjective

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