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.
—
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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And anyone who believed in curses was gaining some evidence.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
19 Jan. 2025
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Cubs fan sabotages his own team and extends the most infamous curse in MLB history During Game 6 of the 2003 National League Division vs. the then-Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs fan Steve Bartman reached out and grabbed a ball that could have been caught.—
Jackson Thompson,
Fox News,
17 Jan. 2025
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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Divergent aspects of Cage’s language—hypnotically simple harmony in the first, percussive murmuring in the other—complemented the film’s rapt aura.—
Alex Ross,
The New Yorker,
27 Jan. 2025
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The post also used language resembling false claims that circulated about Musk in September 2024 and early January.—
Katie Smith,
USA TODAY,
27 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 30 Jan. 2025.
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