dirt

American  

[durt] / dɜrt /

noun

1. any foul or filthy substance, as mud, grime, dust, or excrement.

2. earth or soil, especially when loose.

3. something or someone vile, mean, or worthless.

   After that last outburst of hers I thought she was dirt.

4. moral filth; vileness; corruption.

5. obscene or lewd language.

   to talk dirt.

6. Informal. gossip, especially of a malicious, lurid, or scandalous nature.

   Tell me all the latest dirt.

   Synonyms:

   scuttlebutt, rumor, slander, scandal

7. private or personal information which if made public would create a scandal or ruin the reputation of a person, company, etc.

8. Mining.

   1. crude, broken ore or waste.

   2. (in placer mining) the material from which gold is separated by washing.

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idioms

1. eat dirt, to accept blame, guilt, criticism, or insults without complaint; humble or abase oneself.

   The prosecutor seemed determined to make the defendant eat dirt.

2. do (someone) dirt. dirty.

dirt British  

/ dɜːt /

noun

1. any unclean substance, such as mud, dust, excrement, etc; filth

2. loose earth; soil

3. 1. packed earth, gravel, cinders, etc, used to make a racetrack

   2. ( as modifier )

      a dirt track

4. mining the gravel or soil from which minerals are extracted

5. a person or thing regarded as worthless

6. obscene or indecent speech or writing

7. slang gossip; scandalous information

8. moral corruption

9. slang to do something vicious to someone

10. informal to spread malicious gossip

11. slang to accept insult without complaining

12. to have no respect or consideration for someone

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dirt More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing dirt

• dig up (dirt)
• dirty
• dish the dirt
• eat crow (dirt)
• hit the deck (dirt)
• pay dirt
• treat like dirt

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Etymology

Origin of dirt

1250–1300; Middle English dirt, drit; cognate with Old Norse drit excrement; compare Old English drītan

Explanation

Dirt is earth or soil — it's the substance that makes up the dry surfaces of our planet. Gardeners spend a lot of time digging in the dirt, planting seeds and pulling up weeds. Dirt is the fine rock that makes up soil, but it also means anything unclean: "Do something about the dust and dirt in this room before our guests arrive!" When you know something embarrassing about another person, especially juicy gossip, you can call that information dirt as well — this meaning was coined by Ernest Hemingway in 1926. The word comes from the Old English drytt, "mud, dirt, or dung."

Example Sentences

But it became clear how talented he was when he became the youngest driver ever to win an event in the Late Model Dirt Series at age 15.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

The Grammy-winning dobro icon/master — Douglas receives name-billing as part of Alison Krauss & Union Station — has history with the Dirt Band.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026

He tells me he thinks about listening to an Elton John album, say “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy,” and realizing it came out 50 years ago.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 18, 2025

Coming into the Dirt Nitro Challenge, the Arizona-born Maifield was neck-and-neck with frequent competitor Dakota Phend for the top U.S. driver slot.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2025

Dirt was smeared across their faces and arms and legs.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt

Related Words

• excrement
• ground
• muck
• mud
• soil
• stain