as in curse
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression
I'm afraid I won't be much help on the trip—the only Spanish I know is a handful of dirty words
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Recent Examples of dirty word
Now, free trade is a dirty word for Democrats and Republicans alike.
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Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 2 Mar. 2021
Hot With a Vengeance, Sable Yong looks to understand why vanity is still such a dirty word in a culture so obsessed with beauty.
—Shannon Carlin, TIME, 27 June 2024
Nuance is a dirty word inside the Valley of the Stupid.
—Bob Raissman, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2024
Still, governance in the Boehner era was not a dirty word, and the vast majority of new Republican members were receptive to it.
—Robert Draper, New York Times, 30 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for dirty word 
Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 2 Mar. 2021
Hot With a Vengeance, Sable Yong looks to understand why vanity is still such a dirty word in a culture so obsessed with beauty.
—Shannon Carlin, TIME, 27 June 2024
Nuance is a dirty word inside the Valley of the Stupid.
—Bob Raissman, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2024
Still, governance in the Boehner era was not a dirty word, and the vast majority of new Republican members were receptive to it.
—Robert Draper, New York Times, 30 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for dirty word
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dirty word
Noun
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There has never been a busier time or more information available than right now, which is both a blessing and a curse.Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2025
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The delivery app market — dominated by DoorDash, UberEats and Grubhub — seems to be a blessing and a curse for restaurant operators.Cindy Carcamo, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The station asked the band not to include the swears.Kris Holt, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
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There’s a heavy focus on Asia’s first One&Only spa, featuring a green caviar body exfoliation and an Augustinus Bader facial celebs swear by.Katie Lockhart, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Lighting too forms a kind of architectural language, with track fixtures, uplights, and Ingo Maurer icons casting a calm collective glow.Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 15 Jan. 2025
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Some 240 people work there in various tech startups, AI incubators and food science labs, conducting research and business in at least 14 languages.Ann Abel, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near dirty word
Cite this Entry
“Dirty word.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dirty%20word. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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