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Definition of filthinessnext
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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

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
His greatest series let people see a character who has revealed the filthiest, most shameful parts of themselves, and imagine them as a mirror. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 8 Aug. 2026 Also in July, following a tenant’s eviction, the NYPD and ASPCA discovered nine dead cats inside the filthy, unkempt Queens apartment. Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026 Cleaning our planet’s filthy ports could one day get a boost from a creature with a very messy nickname. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 30 July 2026 The language used in this book is often vile, at times so filthy that the publishers have been compelled to resort to the dash, a device seldom employed in these unsqueamish days. Literary Hub, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for filthiness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for filthiness
Noun
  • But Paddy’s isn’t Sudz, and the Gang’s efforts to soft-pedal their antics to be more in line with those mainstream bars devolved into typical Sunny-style hostility and off-putting grossness.
    Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 28 July 2026
  • All your Dad has to do is fill it and drink—the microfilter membrane will do the rest by removing chlorine odors, dirt, bacteria, and any other grossness floating around in there.
    Francesca Krempa, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2026
Noun
  • For Damien dirtiness brought him closer to godliness, the grime evidence of his graft.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026
  • That’s the dirtiness of rugs and pulling.
    David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 13 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • In a sprightly performance rife with oddball mannerisms, Gnecco gives Borges equal parts impish wisdom, earthy vulgarity and childlike wonder, rarely letting a moment’s silence go unfilled with eager chatter.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The distinction between ugliness and vulgarity feels important now.
    Debbie Millman, Time, 18 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • An earnest, has-a-costume-for-everything kind of guy, Daub is allergic to the greige and the dinge.
    Sandra Upson, Wired, 18 Jan. 2021
Noun
  • How corpulent is this list of filth, vermin and bad food decisions?
    David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The Boulet Brothers descend on New York Comic Con to celebrate a decade of horror, filth, and glamour, and open the crypt on the show’s upcoming seventh season.
    Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • However, if the staining is heavy or set-in, use 1/4 cup of powder per gallon of water.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 14 June 2026
  • To further prevent obvious staining, choose darker flooring that won't show mud and dirt as easily.
    Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 June 2026
Noun
  • The Averys also lack the deep, metaphysical suggestiveness of the Gottliebs.
    Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The bucket quickly went viral for its not-safe-for-work suggestiveness.
    Greta Cross, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Noun
  • The only other person in the 21st century who might’ve had as uncanny an ability to look beneath the sordidness and sorrow of red carpets and walks of fame to find truth and even poetry might be David Lynch.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 23 July 2026
  • Fennell continues to have a gift for exposing the sordidness of money and power.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Filthiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/filthiness. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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