dirty
Americanadjective
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soiled with dirt; foul; unclean.
dirty laundry.
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spreading or imparting dirt; soiling.
dirty smoke.
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vile; mean; sordid; contemptible.
to play a dirty trick on someone.
- Synonyms:
- shabby, low, execrable, despicable, base
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obscene; pornographic; indecent.
a dirty joke.
- Synonyms:
- vulgar, raunchy, lewd, lascivious, nasty
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undesirable or unpleasant; thankless.
He left the dirty work for me.
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very unfortunate or regrettable.
That's a dirty shame!
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not fair or sportsmanlike; unscrupulous.
a dirty fighter.
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hostile, insulting, contemptuous, or resentful.
She gave me a dirty look.
He made a dirty crack about the cooking.
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(of a nuclear weapon) producing a relatively large amount of radioactive fallout.
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(of the weather) stormy; squally.
It looks dirty to windward.
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Informal. obtained through illegal or disreputable means.
dirty money.
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appearing as if soiled; dark-colored; dingy; drab.
- Synonyms:
- dull
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Slang. using or in possession of narcotics.
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Foreign Exchange. (of currency floats) manipulated, as by a central bank influencing or changing exchange rates (opposed to clean).
verb (used with or without object)
adverb
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Informal. in a mean, unscrupulous, or underhand way.
to play dirty.
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Informal. in a lewd manner.
to talk dirty.
idioms
adjective
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covered or marked with dirt; filthy
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obscene; salacious
dirty books
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sexually clandestine
a dirty weekend
-
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causing one to become grimy
a dirty job
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(of a colour) not clear and bright; impure
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unfair; dishonest; unscrupulous; unsporting
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mean; nasty
a dirty cheat
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scandalous; unkind
a dirty rumour
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revealing dislike or anger
a dirty look
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(of weather) rainy or squally; stormy
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(of an aircraft) having projections into the airstream, such as lowered flaps
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(of an explosive device) modified to cause radioactive contamination Compare clean
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slang to be offended by or be hostile towards
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a despicable person
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informal intimate secrets, esp those that might give rise to gossip
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slang dishonest behaviour
-
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an obscene word
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something that is regarded with disapproval
federalism is a dirty word
-
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unpleasant or illicit activity
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informal to behave meanly or unkindly towards
verb
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
Explanation
Things that aren't clean are dirty. The greasy pans in your sink, your muddy shoes, your smelly dog, your strange uncle's jokes — all of these things are dirty. When your car is dirty, you should to take it to the car wash, and when your hands are dirty, you need to be sure to wash them with soap and warm water. Some jobs are dirty, like mining, farming, and ditch digging, and the adjective dirty is sometimes used to mean "contaminating" or "poisonous," as with "dirty bombs." If you call your friend a "dirty rat," you mean to let him know you're disgusted with him.
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.
“I just slipped off his shoulder. My elbow hit him right there above the shoulder. It looked crazy on camera, but I’m not no guy who is a dirty player or who plays like that.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026
"Tourism is a big boost to our local economy but who would want to canoe or swim in a dirty river?"
From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026
"It was filthy, dirty and it leaked like a sieve for many years," he said in a White House video about the plan.
From Barron's • Apr. 25, 2026
Solar panels can also be unreliable because they become dirty, require sunlight and take up space.
From Science Daily • Apr. 19, 2026
She shook one foot, spraying dirty water around.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
Definitions 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.
