filthy
Americanadjective
-
filthier,
comparative
-
filthiest
superlative
-
foul with, characterized by, or having the nature of filth; disgustingly or completely dirty.
-
filthy language.
-
contemptibly offensive, vile, or objectionable.
to treat one's friends in a filthy manner.
-
(of money) abundantly supplied (often followed bywith ).
They're filthy with money.
-
Slang. (especially in sports) formidable: knocked down by a filthy right hook.
a young rookie with a filthy curveball;
knocked down by a filthy right hook.
verb (used with object)
idioms
adjective
-
characterized by or full of filth; very dirty or obscene
-
offensive or vicious
that was a filthy trick to play
-
informal extremely unpleasant
filthy weather
adverb
Synonym Usage
See dirty.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of filthy
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; see origin at filth, -y 1
Explanation
Filthy is a dirty word. Sure, you can say it aloud in public, but it means "dirty" — like your dirty laundry pile by the end of the week. The joy of filthy really lies in the limitless range of its usage. Just about anything can be filthy, not just your dirty socks. You can have filthy living conditions, or wear filthy clothes, but it's also used to refer to something morally or ethically odious, too: "filthy liar," "filthy language," and so on. It can also indicate envy or outrage on the part of the user, as in our favorite use of the word, "filthy rich." Now that's a use of filthy we'd be happy to put up with.
Vocabulary lists containing filthy
Unit 1: Telling Details
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Tax Day Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Vocabulary from history writings about the Triangle Factory Fire
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
One sailor posted a video online that went viral showing filthy toilets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
The road outside the school in Khedi Kalan village is dotted with shallow potholes filled with filthy water.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
But instead they ramped it back up for one last cathartic blast to close, sending their faithful out onto Hollywood Boulevard, sweaty and filthy and fundamentally known.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
Only a few days after the pool was refilled, though, it reverted what it always is: a filthy slime pit that nevertheless does an adequate job of its primary objective: reflecting.
From Slate ● Jun. 19, 2026
Inside, we pull off our filthy running shoes.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
"The state of 'neither war nor peace' is far filthier than war itself," 39-year-old Tehran resident Shahrzad told AFP.
From Barron's ● May 23, 2026
Yorgos Lanthimos earned a nomination five years ago for his last movie, the spiky period farce “The Favourite,” and his latest, “Poor Things,” is funnier, filthier and even more inventive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2023
That sponge, I reasoned, had to be way filthier than whatever Key Food filth had been lingering on the Coke I was about to bring to my lips.
From Salon ● Feb. 14, 2023
It’s filthier than your English teacher let on.
From New York Times ● Jun. 6, 2013
He was filthier than usual, with dirt encrusted on his face and ringing his scalp.
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
In a school playground squeezed between two main roads, children play tag in some of Sheffield's filthiest air.
From BBC ● Dec. 4, 2023
We celebrated everything we could, bouncing from fancy restaurant to the filthiest dive bars we could find every week.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2023
He was just one of the filthiest comics ever, but it was done in such a genius way.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 15, 2022
It used to be notorious as one of the filthiest waterways in America, a poster child for urban decline and environmental ruin.
From New York Times ● Aug. 5, 2020
Well," said the visitor, "the city of Constantinople has the reputation of being the filthiest city in Europe, but it has a brigade of canine street cleaners to assist the rainfalls in cleaning the thoroughfares.
From A Trip to the Orient The Story of a Mediterranean Cruise by Robert Urie Jacob
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
