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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 filthy
Adjective
For collaborating with British officers while on parole, he was transferred to solitary confinement in a filthy cell. Stacy Schiff, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025 Trying to expose the trafficking, abuse, and the filthy networks that protect the wealthy and powerful puts you in danger. Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025 Unitree claims that the G1 is made to handle difficult, filthy, and repetitive jobs in a variety of settings, including at homes, factories, and hospitals. Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2025 Grab a sponge and a bucket, some vinegar, and dish soap, and scrub away that filthy grime. Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for filthy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for filthy
Adjective
  • Banners containing commercial, political or obscene material, or that block guest views.
    Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Just another week in the world of Ball, who was fined $35,000 by the NBA on Monday for making an obscene gesture in the fourth quarter of the Hornets’ 144-117 loss to Miami.
    Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The clinic was dirtier than any of the animal hospitals that Strickland had worked in, with swarms of cockroaches hiding between the metal cages.
    Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Also, dual water tanks ensure the robot vacuum is not recirculating dirty water on my hard floors.
    Terri Williams, Architectural Digest, 3 Nov. 2025
Adverb
  • In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business, and stop.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Nineteenth-century reporters could be extremely casual with facts and guessed at the spelling of names.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Who decides what’s decorous and what’s vulgar?
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
  • The president has been targeting Jeffries online with offensive and vulgar memes since the pair first had an unsuccessful sit-down meeting in the Oval Office just before the shutdown.
    Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • People pour in from the dense warrens of India’s financial capital and from dusty villages thousands of kilometers away, all flowing towards the fortified, sea-facing Mumbai home of actor Shah Rukh Khan.
    Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Workers are startled when a jar tumbles out of a dusty box and rolls onto the ground.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 6 Nov. 2025
Adverb
  • And then, in the very last draft, my editor asked me to clarify for her how the science worked.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Krasinski also has the least interesting yet very successful Hollywood career imaginable, but that doesn’t mean he should be exiled or worse.
    Choire Sicha, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The waste feels more flagrant with every pornographic shot of a Chanel bag, vintage car or over-the-top ensemble.
    Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Opponents of the books describe them as pornographic.
    Adrienne Davis, jsonline.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Among them is the question of whether to use stained parts of the haversacks — possibly containing blood — on the straps’ reverse side, or to cut around them entirely.
    Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The stained glass traces a hierarchy from the current dean to the Crown and then to God.
    Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 6 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Filthy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/filthy. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.

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