dirty

American  

[dur-tee] / ˈdɜr ti /

adjective

dirtier, dirtiest

1. soiled with dirt; foul; unclean.

   dirty laundry.

   Synonyms:

   unclean, grimy

2. spreading or imparting dirt; soiling.

   dirty smoke.

3. vile; mean; sordid; contemptible.

   to play a dirty trick on someone.

   Synonyms:

   shabby, low, execrable, despicable, base

4. obscene; pornographic; indecent.

   a dirty joke.

   Synonyms:

   vulgar, raunchy, lewd, lascivious, nasty

5. undesirable or unpleasant; thankless.

   He left the dirty work for me.

6. very unfortunate or regrettable.

   That's a dirty shame!

7. not fair or sportsmanlike; unscrupulous.

   a dirty fighter.

8. hostile, insulting, contemptuous, or resentful.

   She gave me a dirty look.

   He made a dirty crack about the cooking.

9. (of a nuclear weapon) producing a relatively large amount of radioactive fallout.

10. (of the weather) stormy; squally.

    It looks dirty to windward.

    Synonyms:

    nasty, inclement, foul, rainy

11. Informal. obtained through illegal or disreputable means.

    dirty money.

12. appearing as if soiled; dark-colored; dingy; drab.

    Synonyms:

    dull

13. Slang. using or in possession of narcotics.

14. Foreign Exchange. (of currency floats) manipulated, as by a central bank influencing or changing exchange rates (clean ).

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verb (used with or without object)

dirtied, dirtying

1. to make or become dirty.

   Synonyms:

   sully, befoul, soil

adverb

1. Informal. in a mean, unscrupulous, or underhand way.

   to play dirty.

2. Informal. in a lewd manner.

   to talk dirty.

idioms

1. do (someone) dirty, to treat unfairly or reprehensibly, as by cheating or slandering.

dirty British  

/ ˈdɜːtɪ /

adjective

1. covered or marked with dirt; filthy

2. 1. obscene; salacious

      dirty books

   2. sexually clandestine

      a dirty weekend

3. causing one to become grimy

   a dirty job

4. (of a colour) not clear and bright; impure

5. unfair; dishonest; unscrupulous; unsporting

6. mean; nasty

   a dirty cheat

7. scandalous; unkind

   a dirty rumour

8. revealing dislike or anger

   a dirty look

9. (of weather) rainy or squally; stormy

10. (of an aircraft) having projections into the airstream, such as lowered flaps

11. (of an explosive device) modified to cause radioactive contamination Compare clean

12. slang to be offended by or be hostile towards

13. a despicable person

14. informal intimate secrets, esp those that might give rise to gossip

15. slang dishonest behaviour

16. 1. an obscene word

    2. something that is regarded with disapproval

       federalism is a dirty word

17. unpleasant or illicit activity

18. informal to behave meanly or unkindly towards

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verb

1. to make or become dirty; stain; soil

dirty More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing dirty

• down and dirty
• wash one's dirty linen in public

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Related Words

Dirty, filthy, foul, squalid refer to that which is not clean. Dirty is applied to that which is filled or covered with dirt so that it is unclean or defiled: dirty clothes. Filthy is an emphatic word suggesting something that is excessively soiled or dirty: filthy streets. Both dirty and filthy can refer to obscenity: a dirty mind, a filthy novel. Foul implies an uncleanness that is grossly offensive to the senses: a foul odor. Squalid, applied usually to dwellings or surroundings, implies dirtiness that results from the slovenly indifference often associated with poverty: a squalid tenement.

Other Word Forms

• dirtily adverb
• dirtiness noun

Etymology

Origin of dirty

First recorded in 1520–30; dirt + -y ¹

Example Sentences

The reports also cite multiple occasions where workers walked through already cleared properties with dirty boot covers, possibly re-contaminating them.

From Los Angeles Times

"We knew before that they would be very tough but we said we would have to fight against it, also be dirty, tackle very hard and we did that well today."

From Barron's

He began to worry about the impact of the dirty air on his three children.

From Barron's

It ranges from the greenest to the dirtiest, from established technologies to speculative ones, and even includes companies that play tangential roles in the sector.

From The Wall Street Journal

Fume events are typically characterized by a “dirty sock” odor, at least in cases where engine oil leaks into the air supply.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• contaminated
• crummy
• disheveled
• dusty
• filthy
• greasy
• grimy
• messy
• muddy
• murky
• nasty
• polluted
• sloppy
• stained
• unkempt