dirty

1 of 3

adjective

ˈdər-tē 

dirtier; dirtiest

1

a

: not clean or pure

dirty clothes

dirty fingernails

b

: likely to befoul or defile with a soiling substance (such as mud, dust, or grime)

dirty jobs

c

: contaminated with infecting organisms

dirty wounds

d

: containing impurities

dirty coal

2

a

: morally unclean or corrupt: such as

(1)

: indecent, vulgar

dirty jokes

a dirty movie

(2)

: dishonorable, base

a dirty trick

(3)

: unsportsmanlike

dirty players

b

: acquired by disreputable or illegal means : ill-gotten

dirty money

c

: disagreeable, distasteful, or objectionable but usually necessary (as in achieving a desired result)

hired a thug to do their dirty work

3

a

: abominable, hateful

war is a dirty business

b

: highly regrettable

a dirty shame

c

: likely to cause disgrace or scandal

dirty little secrets

4

: foggy, stormy

dirty weather

5

a

of color : not clear and bright : dullish

dirty blond

b

music : characterized by a husky, rasping, or raw tonal quality

dirty trumpet tones

6

: conveying ill-natured resentment

gave him a dirty look

dirtily

ˈdər-tə-lē 

adverb

dirtiness

ˈdər-tē-nəs 

noun

dirty

2 of 3

adverb

dirtier; dirtiest

: in a dirty (see dirty entry 1) manner: such as

a

: deceptively, underhandedly

fight dirty

b

: indecently

talk dirty

dirty

3 of 3

verb

dirtied; dirtying

transitive verb

1

: to soil with a substance (such as mud or grime) : to make dirty (see dirty entry 1)

dirtied my new shoes

2

a

: to stain with dishonor : sully

tried to dirty his reputation

b

: to debase by distorting the real nature of

… their religion took most of the rural whites' pleasures away from them, dirtying sex and the human body until it was a nasty thing …

—Lillian Smith

intransitive verb

: to become soiled

Synonyms

Adjective

• bedraggled
• befouled
• begrimed
• bemired
• besmirched
• black
• blackened
• cruddy
• dingy
• draggled
• dusty
• filthy
• foul
• grimy
• grotty [chiefly British]
• grubby
• grungy
• mucky
• muddy
• nasty
• smudged
• smutty
• soiled
• sordid
• stained
• sullied
• unclean
• uncleanly

Verb

• befoul
• begrime
• bemire
• besmirch
• blacken
• daub
• distain [archaic]
• foul
• gaum [dialect]
• grime
• mire
• muck
• muddy
• smirch
• smudge
• soil
• stain
• sully

Choose the Right Synonym for dirty

dirty, filthy, foul, nasty, squalid mean conspicuously unclean or impure.

dirty emphasizes the presence of dirt more than an emotional reaction to it.

a dirty littered street

filthy carries a strong suggestion of offensiveness and typically of gradually accumulated dirt that begrimes and besmears.

a stained greasy floor, utterly filthy

foul implies extreme offensiveness and an accumulation of what is rotten or stinking.

a foul-smelling open sewer

nasty applies to what is actually foul or is repugnant to one expecting freshness, cleanliness, or sweetness.

it's a nasty job to clean up after a sick cat

In practice, nasty is often weakened to the point of being no more than a synonym of unpleasant or disagreeable.

had a nasty fall

his answer gave her a nasty shock

squalid adds to the idea of dirtiness and filth that of slovenly neglect.

squalid slums

All these terms are also applicable to moral uncleanness or baseness or obscenity.

dirty then stresses meanness or despicableness

don't ask me to do your dirty work

, while filthy and foul describe disgusting obscenity or loathsome behavior

filthy street language

a foul story of lust and greed

, and nasty implies a peculiarly offensive unpleasantness.

a stand-up comedian known for nasty humor

Distinctively, squalid implies sordidness as well as baseness and dirtiness.

engaged in a series of squalid affairs

Examples of dirty in a Sentence

Adjective

All my socks are dirty.

Try not to get your clothes dirty.

I can't breathe this dirty city air.

The baby has a dirty diaper.

I hate listening to his dirty jokes.

Adverb

Watch out for her. She plays dirty.

He usually wins because he fights dirty.

Verb

Take off your shoes to keep from dirtying the floor.

Her fingers were dirtied with ink.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Carbon emissions would increase because there is a dearth of renewables and the world would have to burn dirtier fossil fuels from non-Western entities. —Dan Ikenson, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Yes, but: Charlie Bailey, a former Fulton County gang prosecutor who ran for lieutenant governor as a Democrat in 2022, told Axios that the RICO law was created to catch leaders of criminal organizations who weren't doing the dirty work. —Kristal Dixon, Axios, 4 Nov. 2024

Adverb

Sonic Drive-In began offering the option to make its drinks dirty by adding coconut cream and lime for an additional charge. —Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 26 Sep. 2024

The campaign gained intensity when photos circulated on the Internet of Ya Ya looking dirty and gaunt (by panda standards) with patchy fur. —Ashraf Khalil and Didi Tang, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Oct. 2023

Verb

Instead, Walz seems to have little to say about factory farming dirtying the state’s waterways. —Kenny Torrella, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018

Garments can be dirtied again by the elements if air-dried outside. —Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see dirt

Adverb

see dirt

Verb

see dirt

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

circa 1931, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1591, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing dirty

• air one's dirty laundry
• dirty bomb
• dirty laundry
• dirty little secret
• dirty/mean/rotten trick
• dirty mind
• dirty money
• dirty old man
• dirty pool
• dirty rice
• dirty tricks
• dirty word
• down and dirty
• filthy dirty
• get down and dirty

Kids Definition

dirty

1 of 2 adjective

ˈdərt-ē 

dirtier; dirtiest

1

: not clean

dirty clothes

dirty air

2

: unfair sense 1, dishonorable

a dirty trick

3

: indecent, vulgar

dirty jokes

4

: disagreeable or objectionable but usually necessary (as in achieving a desired result)

had to scrub the floor and do other dirty work

5

: stormy sense 1

dirty weather

6

: not clear in color : dull

a dirty red

7

: showing dislike or anger

a dirty look

dirtily

ˈdərt-ᵊl-ē 

adverb

dirtiness

ˈdərt-ē-nəs 

noun

dirty

2 of 2 verb

dirtied; dirtying

: to make or become dirty

Medical Definition

dirty

adjective

ˈdərt-ē 

dirtier; dirtiest

: contaminated with infecting organisms

dirty wounds