dirty word
Americannoun
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dirty words
plural
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a vulgar or taboo word; obscenity.
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any word, name, or concept considered reprehensible or unmentionable; anathema.
“Lose” is a dirty word to this team.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of dirty word
First recorded in 1835–45
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
More than 100 days into Ms. Rodríguez’s new job, freedom is still a dirty word for the government.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 19, 2026
"I know there are many who use 'socialist' as a dirty word, something to be ashamed of," the 34-year-old told a packed room in Queens.
From Barron's ● Apr. 13, 2026
"Disability is not a dirty word," she said.
From BBC ● Mar. 6, 2026
Brian Stelter, CNN's chief media analyst, recently tweeted that “fact-check” had become a dirty word.
From Salon ● Jan. 26, 2025
His mother frowned, like she wasn't sure whether that counted as a dirty word.
From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
