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

“All right, then,” Daddy said as he stood up, brushed off his pants that weren’t dirty, and turned around so we were both facing home.

From Literature

He added: “Shoes are definitely dirtier than feet. Because I wash my feet all the time. When’s the last time you washed the bottom of your shoe?”

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s a really dirty game,” said Elaine Dezenski, head of the Center on Economic and Financial Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a think tank critical of China.

From The Wall Street Journal

Pollution is a longstanding problem, but plants can help by filtering dirty air, absorbing harmful gases and cooling cities.

From Barron's

Townsend is now playing a miserable game of catch-up, a grim pursuit of a few wins to take the dirty look off their campaign.

From BBC

Related Words

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