Synonyms of filthy

filthy 1 of 2

adjective

ˈfil-thē 

1

as in obscene

depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society

you cannot use such filthy language on the public airwaves

Synonyms & Similar Words

• obscene
• vulgar
• pornographic
• dirty
• nasty
• foul
• gross
• unacceptable
• disgusting
• crude
• blue
• naughty
• suggestive
• unpleasant
• indecent
• lascivious
• obnoxious
• impure
• offensive
• raunchy
• trashy
• lewd
• coarse
• undesirable
• bawdy
• smutty
• profane
• abusive
• ribald
• unwanted
• locker-room
• unprintable
• wanton
• gutter
• infamous
• wicked
• stag
• broad
• X-rated
• porny
• depraved
• perverted
• loathsome
• soft
• salacious
• repulsive
• scatological
• salty
• revolting
• kinky
• off
• objectionable
• repugnant
• earthy
• low
• barnyard
• indelicate
• unbecoming
• immodest
• unwelcome
• coarse-grained
• indecorous
• perverse
• abhorrent
• racy
• gamy
• distasteful
• repellent
• risqué
• reprehensible
• atrocious
• exceptionable
• scurrilous
• louche
• off-color
• blameworthy
• censurable
• blamable
• hard-core
• debasing
• soft-core

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• clean
• wholesome
• decent
• proper
• Victorian
• puritanical
• prudish
• correct
• nice
• staid
• polite
• respectable
• prim
• acceptable
• innocuous
• genteel
• pleasant
• desirable
• appropriate
• decorous
• priggish
• suitable
• nonobscene
• inoffensive
• agreeable
• welcome
• G-rated
• pure
• becoming
• meet
• straitlaced
• pleasing
• perfect
• seemly
• spotless
• immaculate
• fit
• virginal
• endorsed
• approved
• sanctioned

2

as in dirty

not clean

you can't go to the concert unless you clean this filthy room first

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dirty
• dusty
• stained
• muddy
• blackened
• nasty
• black
• grimy
• greasy
• unclean
• messy
• smudged
• dingy
• grubby
• soiled
• sordid
• mucky
• polluted
• grungy
• begrimed
• smutty
• foul
• bedraggled
• sloppy
• grotty
• uncleanly
• befouled
• chaotic
• sullied
• draggled
• cruddy
• besmirched
• contaminated
• unsanitary
• insanitary
• littered
• messed
• impure
• confused
• unwashed
• bemired
• tainted
• uncleaned
• unsterile
• unkempt
• slovenly
• scruffy
• cluttered
• unsterilized
• squalid
• disheveled
• untidy
• shabby
• disordered
• defiled
• jumbled
• raunchy
• germy
• rumpled
• muddled
• sleazy
• sooty
• disarranged
• gunky
• skanky
• scuzzy
• disarrayed
• mussy
• fuliginous
• mussed
• crocked
• collied

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• clean
• spotless
• immaculate
• pure
• unsoiled
• unsullied
• unstained
• stainless
• clear
• spick-and-span
• ultraclean
• cleaned
• cleanly
• limpid
• neat
• tidy
• orderly
• cleansed
• bleached
• groomed
• ordered
• shiny
• perfect
• combed
• untouched
• bright
• sparkling
• purified
• whitened
• flawless
• wholesome
• unpolluted
• unspotted
• unblemished
• untainted
• virgin
• undefiled
• taintless

filthy

2 of 2

adverb

as in extremely

to a great degree

the invention made him filthy rich

Synonyms & Similar Words

• extremely
• very
• incredibly
• terribly
• damned
• damn
• highly
• badly
• too
• so
• desperately
• severely
• jolly
• really
• super
• full
• seriously
• far
• wildly
• intensely
• most
• that
• wicked
• awful
• heavily
• especially
• mighty
• real
• exceptionally
• greatly
• such
• awfully
• much
• good and
• fantastically
• fiercely
• particularly
• fabulously
• deadly
• absolutely
• frightfully
• sore
• monstrous
• exceedingly
• supremely
• immensely
• beastly
• extra
• stinking
• utterly
• specially
• roaring
• totally
• rattling
• passing
• uncommonly
• dang
• thoroughly
• eminently
• bone
• way
• mortally
• hugely
• remarkably
• vitally
• cracking
• thumping
• surpassingly
• achingly
• completely
• whacking
• sorely
• spanking
• positively
• almighty
• enormously
• deeply
• vastly
• colossally
• archly
• a lot
• corking
• roaringly
• blisteringly
• entirely
• ever
• wholly
• majorly
• mightily
• downright
• unco
• significantly
• right
• as all get-out
• profoundly
• noticeably
• fully
• visibly
• radically
• flat-out
• considerably
• obviously
• purely
• substantially
• notably
• extensively
• obscenely
• markedly
• excessively
• palpably
• plentifully
• altogether
• abundantly
• astonishingly
• amazingly
• plainly
• discernibly
• monumentally
• monstrously
• staggeringly
• appreciably
• astronomically
• grandly
• overmuch

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• little
• somewhat
• slightly
• nominally
• negligibly
• just
• barely
• hardly
• scarcely
• marginally
• scantily
• minimally
• meagerly

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

Recent Examples of filthy

Adjective

When the drop comes in, there’s this really filthy synth bass. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2026

There are several different subtypes of New York City Restaurant, from the humble old-timers (Katz’s, Nom Wah) to the temples of filthy lucre (Bemelmans, Rao’s). — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026

The invention’s intent was to cut down on distracted driving — in addition to the frustration of digging around under filthy car seats. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Oct. 2026

Myriad violations, from food that should’ve been trashed weeks earlier to filthy equipment, befouled the state inspection of a West Miami-Dade supermarket this week. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2026