filthy
Americanadjective
-
filthier,
comparative
-
filthiest
superlative
-
foul with, characterized by, or having the nature of filth; disgustingly or completely dirty.
-
filthy language.
-
contemptibly offensive, vile, or objectionable.
to treat one's friends in a filthy manner.
-
(of money) abundantly supplied (often followed bywith ).
They're filthy with money.
-
Slang. (especially in sports) formidable: knocked down by a filthy right hook.
a young rookie with a filthy curveball;
knocked down by a filthy right hook.
verb (used with object)
idioms
adjective
-
characterized by or full of filth; very dirty or obscene
-
offensive or vicious
that was a filthy trick to play
-
informal extremely unpleasant
filthy weather
adverb
Synonym Usage
See dirty.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of filthy
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; see origin at filth, -y 1
Explanation
Filthy is a dirty word. Sure, you can say it aloud in public, but it means "dirty" — like your dirty laundry pile by the end of the week. The joy of filthy really lies in the limitless range of its usage. Just about anything can be filthy, not just your dirty socks. You can have filthy living conditions, or wear filthy clothes, but it's also used to refer to something morally or ethically odious, too: "filthy liar," "filthy language," and so on. It can also indicate envy or outrage on the part of the user, as in our favorite use of the word, "filthy rich." Now that's a use of filthy we'd be happy to put up with.
Vocabulary lists containing filthy
Unit 1: Telling Details
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Tax Day Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Vocabulary from history writings about the Triangle Factory Fire
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Park advocates have long argued that the existing city allocation is inadequate, leaving neighborhoods with decaying recreation centers, deteriorating swimming pools and filthy park bathrooms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
One Berlin resident fed up with filthy streets has taken matters into her own hands.
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
No matter how filthy a tackle might be, Deschamps instructed his players to bounce back up and carry on in silence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Only a few days after the pool was refilled, though, it reverted what it always is: a filthy slime pit that nevertheless does an adequate job of its primary objective: reflecting.
From Slate ● Jun. 19, 2026
The hard plastic chair made Ann’s legs and back ache and was as filthy as the floor.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
"The state of 'neither war nor peace' is far filthier than war itself," 39-year-old Tehran resident Shahrzad told AFP.
From Barron's ● May 23, 2026
Yorgos Lanthimos earned a nomination five years ago for his last movie, the spiky period farce “The Favourite,” and his latest, “Poor Things,” is funnier, filthier and even more inventive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2023
That sponge, I reasoned, had to be way filthier than whatever Key Food filth had been lingering on the Coke I was about to bring to my lips.
From Salon ● Feb. 14, 2023
This means the toilets have become even filthier.
From The Guardian ● Dec. 4, 2017
The water was filthier than she could have imagined.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
Yet Guadagnino can’t help but sand every coarse surface; even the filthiest walls here look carefully buffed to perfection.
From New York Times ● Nov. 29, 2024
In a school playground squeezed between two main roads, children play tag in some of Sheffield's filthiest air.
From BBC ● Dec. 4, 2023
We celebrated everything we could, bouncing from fancy restaurant to the filthiest dive bars we could find every week.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2023
Restaurant: Impossible Chef Robert Irvine heads to the Jalisco Cafe in San Diego where he tackles one of the filthiest kitchens of his career.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 6, 2022
Down in the lowest, filthiest, and darkest corner of this foul hold sat Kambira, with little Obo crushed against his shins.
From Black Ivory by Francis B. Pearson
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
