dirty

[ dur-tee ]

adjective

, dirt·i·er, dirt·i·est.

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, nasty, lascivious

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 ).

verb (used with or without object)

, dirt·ied, dirt·y·ing.

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.

dirty

/ 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. be dirty on slang.
    to be offended by or be hostile towards
13. dirty dog
    a despicable person
14. dirty linen informal.
    intimate secrets, esp those that might give rise to gossip
15. dirty pool slang.
    dishonest behaviour
16. dirty word
    1. an obscene word
    2. something that is regarded with disapproval

       federalism is a dirty word

17. dirty work
    unpleasant or illicit activity
18. do the dirty on informal.
    to behave meanly or unkindly towards

verb

1. to make or become dirty; stain; soil

Derived Forms

• ˈdirtily, adverb
• ˈdirtiness, noun

Other Words From

• dirti·ly adverb
• dirti·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of dirty¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

More idioms and phrases containing dirty

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

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

That could prevent dirty tricks or an “October surprise” and give watchdogs time to fact-check statements.

From ProPublica

The airlines provide barf bags, but the dirty secret is that people often don’t use them.

From Fortune

If you want to hurt him because you don’t like him and you want to exploit the connection because he has more cash than you, I guess you can do that, but it feels dirty.

From Ozy

Those that arrive damaged or dirty may never return to inventory.

From Quartz

That plant is one of the dirtiest in Texas, both in terms of climate and air quality impacts, according to a Rice University study.

From Quartz

She is the author of Dirty Entanglements: Corruption, Crime and Terrorism (Cambridge University Press).

From The Daily Beast

I was so relieved, until I thought about my dirty pantyhose hanging on the shower at home.

From The Daily Beast

If only Sulzberger had managed to keep a zipped upper lip while leaving the dirty work to anonymous underlings.

From The Daily Beast

Not one Argentine Jesuit lost his life during the dirty war, and he managed to save dozens of people.

From The Daily Beast

As Americans, we still have a right to air both our dirty laundry and our R-Rated films.

From The Daily Beast

I'd have enjoyed punching his proud head, for all that; it was a dirty way to serve a man who had done his level best.

From Project Gutenberg

Shopkeepers not only occupied both sides of the crowded streets, but half their wares were exposed in and over the dirty gutters.

From Project Gutenberg

And in the incredibly small and incredibly dirty fastness of the stationmaster, they indeed found a Bradshaw.

From Project Gutenberg

What if his father insisted upon his going to London, and doing any other dirty work which these fellows chose to put upon him?

From Project Gutenberg

This water, although of a dirty and thick appearance, is said to possess the valuable quality of resisting putridity for years.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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