dirty

¹dirty

adj \ˈdər-tē\

dirt·i·erdirt·i·est

Definition of DIRTY

1

a : not clean or pure <dirty clothes> b : likely to befoul or defile with dirt <dirty jobs> c : contaminated with infecting organisms <dirty wounds> d : containing impurities <dirty coal>

2

a : morally unclean or corrupt: 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 : characterized by a husky, rasping, or raw tonal quality <dirty trumpet tones>

6

: conveying ill-natured resentment <gave him a dirty look>

— dirt·i·ly \ˈdər-tə-lē\ adverb

— dirt·i·ness \ˈdər-tē-nəs\ noun

Examples of DIRTY

1. All my socks are dirty.
2. Try not to get your clothes dirty.
3. I can't breathe this dirty city air.
4. The baby has a dirty diaper.
5. I hate listening to his dirty jokes.

First Known Use of DIRTY

14th century

Related to DIRTY

Synonyms: 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

Antonyms: clean, cleanly, immaculate, spick-and-span (or spic-and-span), spotless, stainless, ultraclean, unsoiled, unstained, unsullied

Related Words: contaminated, defiled, germy, impure, polluted, tainted; insanitary, uncleaned, unsanitary, unsterile, unsterilized, unwashed; greasy, gunky; chaotic, cluttered, confused, disarranged, disarrayed, disheveled (or dishevelled), disordered, jumbled, littered, messed, messy, muddled, mussed, mussy, rumpled, scruffy, sloppy, slovenly, unkempt, untidy; raunchy, scuzzy [slang], shabby, skanky [slang], sleazy, squalid; collied [chiefly British dialect], crocked [dialect], fuliginous, sooty

Near Antonyms: clear, limpid, pure; cleaned, cleansed, combed, groomed, neat, ordered, orderly, tidy; bleached, purified, whitened; bright, flawless, perfect, shiny, sparkling, unspotted, untouched; taintless, unblemished, undefiled, unpolluted, untainted, virgin, wholesome

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Synonym Discussion of 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>.

Rhymes with DIRTY

flirty, QWERTY, shirty, thirty