dirty
Americanadjective
-
dirtier,
comparative
-
dirtiest
superlative
-
soiled with dirt; foul; unclean.
dirty laundry.
-
spreading or imparting dirt; soiling.
dirty smoke.
-
vile; mean; sordid; contemptible.
to play a dirty trick on someone.
- Synonyms:
- shabby, low, execrable, despicable, base
-
obscene; pornographic; indecent.
a dirty joke.
- Synonyms:
- vulgar, raunchy, lewd, lascivious, nasty
-
undesirable or unpleasant; thankless.
He left the dirty work for me.
-
very unfortunate or regrettable.
That's a dirty shame!
-
not fair or sportsmanlike; unscrupulous.
a dirty fighter.
-
hostile, insulting, contemptuous, or resentful.
She gave me a dirty look.
He made a dirty crack about the cooking.
-
(of a nuclear weapon) producing a relatively large amount of radioactive fallout.
-
(of the weather) stormy; squally.
It looks dirty to windward.
-
Informal. obtained through illegal or disreputable means.
dirty money.
-
appearing as if soiled; dark-colored; dingy; drab.
- Synonyms:
- dull
-
Slang. using or in possession of narcotics.
-
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)
-
dirties,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dirtied,
past participle, past
-
dirtying
present participle
adverb
-
Informal. in a mean, unscrupulous, or underhand way.
to play dirty.
-
Informal. in a lewd manner.
to talk dirty.
idioms
adjective
-
covered or marked with dirt; filthy
-
-
obscene; salacious
dirty books
-
sexually clandestine
a dirty weekend
-
-
causing one to become grimy
a dirty job
-
(of a colour) not clear and bright; impure
-
unfair; dishonest; unscrupulous; unsporting
-
mean; nasty
a dirty cheat
-
scandalous; unkind
a dirty rumour
-
revealing dislike or anger
a dirty look
-
(of weather) rainy or squally; stormy
-
(of an aircraft) having projections into the airstream, such as lowered flaps
-
(of an explosive device) modified to cause radioactive contamination Compare clean
-
slang to be offended by or be hostile towards
-
a despicable person
-
informal intimate secrets, esp those that might give rise to gossip
-
slang dishonest behaviour
-
-
an obscene word
-
something that is regarded with disapproval
federalism is a dirty word
-
-
unpleasant or illicit activity
-
informal to behave meanly or unkindly towards
verb
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
dirtysimple
-
dirtiessimple
-
have dirtiedperfect
-
has dirtiedperfect
-
am dirtyingprogressive
-
are dirtyingprogressive
-
is dirtyingprogressive
-
have been dirtyingperfect progressive
-
has been dirtyingperfect progressive
Past
-
dirtiedsimple
-
had dirtiedperfect
-
was dirtyingprogressive
-
were dirtyingprogressive
-
had been dirtyingperfect progressive
Future
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.
See Examples For:
Technologists envision a future where robots can supplement a declining labor force caused by shifting demographics, and spare humans from dangerous and dirty work.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
He also disarms skeptics with self-deprecation: “I am a dirty, rotten sinner,” he often says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
I can make you think it’s a dirty joke, but it’s a clean joke.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
New York's subway is known for being dirty, noisy and sometimes flooded, but that doesn't stop people from flocking to grab a seat, sign or other memorabilia at a unique annual auction.
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026
The far wall has a defunct, dirty fireplace built into it.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
Natural gas has long been billed as a "bridge fuel" between dirtier polluting fossil fuels and renewables such as wind and solar.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
On the other hand, as the New York Times reports, some countries may be forced to go back to outdated and even dirtier resources like coal.
From Salon ● Mar. 17, 2026
Its reliance on imports has been increasing as domestic oil and gas fields such as the North Sea basin deplete and climate policies phase out dirtier fuels including coal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026
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 ● Feb. 9, 2026
Boston was a terrible place, older and even dirtier and more crowded than Lowell.
From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson
The town, just a short drive from the capital, Pristina, produces almost all of the country's electricity by burning lignite, the lowest-quality and dirtiest coal, dug from nearby pits.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
Listening to “The Boutique,” I feel like I should be smoking a cigarette and drinking the dirtiest martini known to man in a speakeasy, wearing a drop waist silk dress and bright red lipstick.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
Coal is relatively inexpensive to produce but is the dirtiest fossil fuel, releasing considerable particulate air pollution, sulfur dioxide and mercury, and nearly twice the planet-warming carbon dioxide as natural gas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 11, 2026
“The militias were often the dirtiest part of an ugly war,“ said Graeme Smith, author of a book on the war in southern Afghanistan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 6, 2025
In fact they are the dirtiest fingernails I have ever seen on such a lovely, wonderful-smelling person.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
“Today, there are also open drains lining homes which dirties the blue paint and damages the walls,” says Mr Dave.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2024
“It dirties up a case. It brings in more otherwise inadmissible information,” said Hamasaki, who is now running for San Francisco district attorney.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2022
Buying two or three sets of sheets does mean using up some already limited storage, but students not terribly laundry-responsible won’t go into crisis when the dirties pile up.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 20, 2022
"This summit does not dignify anyone, rather, it dirties them, it sullies them. We Latin Americans have to defend ourselves so that they respect us."
From Reuters ● May 19, 2022
Whenever he feels trapped and panic sets in, he loses control and dirties himself.
From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes
I had not dirtied anything requiring an overnight soak.
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026
“It’s hard for a jury to convict when they feel no empathy for the victim. They dirtied up the victim and made her repugnant to the jury.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
The windows are another part of the spacecraft not quite working as planned after they were dirtied by the astronauts spending a lot of time "glued to the windows" while taking photographs.
From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2026
During one spurt of construction, High Point offered free carwashes and valet service because the dust dirtied vehicles and the work limited parking.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2025
When the animals came back, they were saddened to see that the water had been so dirtied.
From "The Girl Who Married a Lion: and Other Tales from Africa" by Alexander Mccall Smith
Groups, including the United Nations children's charity Unicef, have said that girls in Sierra Leone often miss school during their periods for fear of dirtying their uniform.
From BBC ● May 17, 2026
Osaka prefectural police on Wednesday said Ryu Shimazu and Toshihide Oka were arrested on suspicion of obstructing business and destroying and dirtying property.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 5, 2023
It’s a plan that risks pleasing no one, while also dirtying the company’s valuation.
From Reuters ● Feb. 15, 2023
“But he said arguments spoil its beauty, and that he would feel as if he was dirtying a flower with muddy hands.”
From New York Times ● Apr. 6, 2022
She opened the shed where we kept the coal and dug around, dirtying her hands, until she excavated a garment bag, then another, then another.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
