1
as in filthy
not clean
after working in the factory all day, his clothes are very dirty
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in obscene
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society
some radio stations refused to play the song because of the dirty lyrics
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3
as in turbulent
marked by wet and windy conditions
they were unknowingly sailing into dirty weather
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4
as in foul
not being in accordance with the rules or standards of what is fair in sport
the school is known for the dirty football it plays
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5
as in nasty
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency
accused the other campaign of playing dirty tricks
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6
as in cheap
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
laying off longtime employees was a dirty way for the company to reduce labor costs and save money
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7
as in corruptible
open to improper influence and especially bribery
a movie about a dirty cop paid to protect a mafioso
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as in to stain
to make dirty
she dirtied her new sneakers when she splashed in the puddle
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as in illegally
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dirty
Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 6 Apr. 2025
Tsunoda then spent the second stint starting at the rear wing of Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin, again toiling in the dirty air.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 16 Dec. 2024
Instead, Walz seems to have little to say about factory farming dirtying the state’s waterways.
—Kenny Torrella, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Ashraf Khalil and Didi Tang, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Oct. 2023
During the Cold War, Washington routinely played dirty to protect the liberal order.
—Victor Cha, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for dirty
Adjective
This also prevents your meat mallet from getting dirty as well.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 6 Apr. 2025
Tsunoda then spent the second stint starting at the rear wing of Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin, again toiling in the dirty air.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Verb
Arizona Republic Cool weather and the holiday season may seem like the perfect excuse to cozy up by the fire, but too many blazing yule logs can dirty the air and put some of your neighbors at risk.
—Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 16 Dec. 2024
Instead, Walz seems to have little to say about factory farming dirtying the state’s waterways.
—Kenny Torrella, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Adverb
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
During the Cold War, Washington routinely played dirty to protect the liberal order.
—Victor Cha, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for dirty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dirty
Adjective
-
Aurangzeb imprisoned his ailing father in 1658 and defeated his brother the year after, before forcibly parading him in chains on a filthy elephant on the streets of Delhi.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
18 Apr. 2025
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The network has ordered Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service, which will see the celebrity chef go undercover to rescue America’s filthiest restaurants.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Deputies found and arrested Betancourt, who was sentenced March 21 to six years and eight months in state prison for felony child abuse causing injury, felony domestic violence, witness intimidation, and possession of obscene matter depicting persons under age 18 engaged in lewd conduct.—
Bay City News Service,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2025
-
Lovable, charming and generous, yet temperamental, arrogant and obscene.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Interesting, turbulent life (including 22 years in prison).—
Jay Nordlinger,
National Review,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Overanalyzing every win and loss will make your journey feel more turbulent than necessary.—
Nelson Chu,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Verdugo had one more at-bat, closing out the bottom of the eighth inning with a foul pop out off another reliever, Cole Sands.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Apr. 2025
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The Pistons foul at one of the highest rates in the league, and both Brunson and Towns will get their share of points from the floor and foul line.—
Jay Ginsbach,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Switching out a pump in a pit filled with raw sewage is nasty work.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
12 Apr. 2025
-
The bear is back and things may stay nasty for the rest of 2025.—
Brett Owens,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Their tech lets clothing companies show off a wide variety of sizes and styles—and for a whole lot cheaper.—
Alexandra York,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
-
In Flacco and Pickett, the Browns have two veteran backups on cheap contracts signed only for 2025.—
Zac Jackson,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
If Bonhoeffer’s example is used to justify more far-right Christian violence in America, that would be another tragedy — and a cruel irony that would stain the legacy of a man who gave up everything to confront a tyrant.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
13 Apr. 2025
-
Pérez's manager, Enrique Paulino, spoke to reporters at the scene, his shirt stained with blood.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
On the outskirts of Lima, Peru, locals stumbled upon some dusty items in a vacant lot.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Outside, Archer Avenue is lonesome in the daylight, austere Resurrection Cemetery stretching along one side and depressed dusty parking lots and industrial-looking buildings lining the other side.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dirty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dirty. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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