filthiness 1 of 3

Definition of filthinessnext
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filthy

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adjective

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filthy

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adverb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective filthy differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of filthy are dirty, foul, nasty, and squalid. While all these words mean "conspicuously unclean or impure," filthy carries a strong suggestion of offensiveness and typically of gradually accumulated dirt that begrimes and besmears. Figuratively, it can also describe disgusting obscenity.

a stained greasy floor, utterly filthy
filthy street language

When might dirty be a better fit than filthy?

In some situations, the words dirty and filthy are roughly equivalent. However, dirty emphasizes the presence of dirt more than an emotional reaction to it or, figuratively, stresses meanness or despicableness.

a dirty littered street
don't ask me to do your dirty work

When would foul be a good substitute for filthy?

The words foul and filthy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, foul implies extreme offensiveness and an accumulation of what is rotten or stinking; it can also describe, for example, loathsome behavior.

a foul-smelling open sewer
a foul story of lust and greed

How is nasty related to other words for filthy?

Nasty applies to what is actually foul or is repugnant to one expecting freshness, cleanliness, or sweetness; in practice, however, nasty is often weakened to the point of being no more than a synonym of unpleasant or disagreeable. When used figuratively, nasty implies a peculiarly offensive unpleasantness.

it's a nasty job to clean up after a sick cat
had a nasty fall
his answer gave her a nasty shock
a stand-up comedian known for nasty humor

In what contexts can squalid take the place of filthy?

The synonyms squalid and filthy are sometimes interchangeable, but squalid adds to the idea of dirtiness and filth that of slovenly neglect. Distinctively, its figurative use implies sordidness as well as baseness and dirtiness.

squalid slums
engaged in a series of squalid affairs

How does the adjective filthy differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of filthy are dirty, foul, nasty, and squalid. While all these words mean "conspicuously unclean or impure," filthy carries a strong suggestion of offensiveness and typically of gradually accumulated dirt that begrimes and besmears. Figuratively, it can also describe disgusting obscenity.

a stained greasy floor, utterly filthy
filthy street language

When might dirty be a better fit than filthy?

In some situations, the words dirty and filthy are roughly equivalent. However, dirty emphasizes the presence of dirt more than an emotional reaction to it or, figuratively, stresses meanness or despicableness.

a dirty littered street
don't ask me to do your dirty work

When would foul be a good substitute for filthy?

The words foul and filthy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, foul implies extreme offensiveness and an accumulation of what is rotten or stinking; it can also describe, for example, loathsome behavior.

a foul-smelling open sewer
a foul story of lust and greed

How is nasty related to other words for filthy?

Nasty applies to what is actually foul or is repugnant to one expecting freshness, cleanliness, or sweetness; in practice, however, nasty is often weakened to the point of being no more than a synonym of unpleasant or disagreeable. When used figuratively, nasty implies a peculiarly offensive unpleasantness.

it's a nasty job to clean up after a sick cat
had a nasty fall
his answer gave her a nasty shock
a stand-up comedian known for nasty humor

In what contexts can squalid take the place of filthy?

The synonyms squalid and filthy are sometimes interchangeable, but squalid adds to the idea of dirtiness and filth that of slovenly neglect. Distinctively, its figurative use implies sordidness as well as baseness and dirtiness.

squalid slums
engaged in a series of squalid affairs

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 filthiness
Adjective
The girl from Santo Domingo’s bajo mundo made her name rapping gleefully filthy dembow in space-punk regalia. E.r. Pulgar, Pitchfork, 16 Apr. 2026 Kilitch Healthcare had serious quality lapses, in which the facility was filthy, employees were barefoot on the manufacturing floor and the company fraudulently passed products that failed sterility tests. C. Michael White, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026 Kilitch Healthcare had serious quality lapses, in which the facility was filthy, employees were barefoot on the manufacturing floor and the company fraudulently passed products that failed sterility tests. C. Michael White, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2026 Common areas are often filthy, and increasingly populated by drug users. ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for filthiness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for filthiness
Noun
  • There are no great surprises from here on out, though the sheer, lusty grossness of the fallout is occasionally startling.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
  • If an exclamation point only signified gore and grossness, this gothic rock opera would more than qualify.
    Rachel Simon, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The incident was captured on the broadcast, and after the game, Duran explained that his obscene gesture was in response to a fan crossing the line.
    Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
  • The most common crime investigated by the unit was the distribution of obscene material depicting minors, followed by elder abuse and rape.
    Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The drinks attract younger women, typically age 16 to 35, and are aimed at health-conscious customers that don’t want Swig’s more caloric and filling dirty sodas, CEO Alex Dunn said.
    Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
  • That wasn’t the only utensil stored in a dirty place.
    David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
Adverb
  • A lot of these fishing tournaments are won by these younger anglers that really haven’t studied the body of water, don’t know it like the older fishermen, but are still extremely successful with the new technology.
    Mike McFeely, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2026
  • The daily afternoon tea in Horizons is also extremely pleasant (don’t skip on the chicken sandwiches, which were more my beat than the scones and jam).
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • In addition, prosecutors say swastikas, antisemitic slogans and vulgarity were spray-painted on pillars underneath M-53 and Canal, a brick wall near a business and an electrical box at a second business.
    Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
  • His vulgarity, insults and threats do not make America great.
    Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 11 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • That’s the dirtiness of rugs and pulling.
    David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 13 Apr. 2026
  • For a young team learning to stick up for each other, Mangiapane brings a needed dirtiness to the Hawks.
    Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The word was considered so vulgar that it was left out of early dictionaries and was rarely printed, though Adams says people were certainly using it.
    Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2026
  • One day, Dahlstrom made a vulgar joke in a lunchroom referencing oral sex and pubic hair, according to the employee.
    Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • In 2020, stargazers flocked to dark sky locations to view the cosmic traveler Neowise, a visible comet then 64 million miles from Earth, with a dusty tail extending more than a million miles.
    Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
  • The dusty chocolate coating is bitter and unpleasant, and there isn’t enough salt to offset it.
    Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Filthiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/filthiness. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.

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