Definition of filthynext
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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
The game starts with a flashback 30 years ago to a feral, filthy Wolverine who’s living alone in the wilderness. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026 Few things at airports irritate customers like filthy toilets or water on the restroom floor. — Miami Herald, 8 Aug. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for filthy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for filthy
Adjective
  • Banners unfurled at off-campus houses ranged from the profane to the obscene.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The Georgia Bulldog logo has showed up for years on hats, shirts and pennants, but the state Board of Regents has decided that the appearance of the familiar canine on toilet seats and obscene posters is going too far.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 16 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Cans, water containers, mattresses and crosses - seeming evidence of the home's former Christian occupants — lay scattered across a dirty room.
    — Diego Ibarra Sánchez, NPR, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The lingerers brought their dirty dishes to the bus tub, wiped their mouths one last time with a napkin, and waved to Cleo, their faces saying, Nice job!
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
Adverb
  • The romance genre is extremely popular on the publishing side with massive engaged fan bases, and buyers on the film and TV side recognize the potential for that to translate to the screen.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Earthquakes and bradyseisms are very rare; the continents move extremely slowly.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Despite their pointy protrusions, the sculptures are not spiky enough to leave a mark; and despite their flirtations with touchy subject matter, none of the works—not even the 9/11 ones—are vulgar enough to get Wolfson in hot water.
    — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • But Trump’s obsession with these vulgar memorials to his own vanity is a reminder of the darkness around him, of his hostility to democracy, his loathing of honor, and his disordered mind.
    — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The hot and dusty city streets were bathed in decorative green light to celebrate National Day, as hundreds of electronic billboards projected the sword and script of the Saudi flag, shown fluttering as if caught in a breeze.
    — Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Raghubir Goyal, an eccentric veteran of the briefing room who serves as White House correspondent for India Globe, a newspaper that appears to no longer exist, stood at the press secretary’s dusty podium and filmed selfie videos.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026
Adverb
  • Those who arrived in the 1900s had very different cultural, political, and religious backgrounds from the older Texas Jews.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • These salts can withstand very high temperatures before boiling.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Current Florida law says a school district can review and remove a book after a complaint has been made that a book is pornographic, obscene or isn’t age appropriate.
    — Ana Goñi-Lessan, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The teacher admitted to having inappropriate conversations and sending pornographic videos to the former student.
    — Christian Cervantes, AZCentral.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Pushing those briars aside revealed a single splinter of stained glass, bright as a ruby and warm as blood.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • With stained glass, the gray light from outside is filtered through beautiful pieces of glass.
    — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 11 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Filthy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/filthy. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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