dirty

[ dur-tee ]

adjective

, dirt·i·er, dirt·i·est.

1. soiled with dirt; foul; unclean:

   dirty laundry.

   Synonyms: unclean, grimy

2. spreading or imparting dirt; soiling:

   dirty smoke.

3. vile; mean; sordid; contemptible:

   to play a dirty trick on someone.

   Synonyms: shabby, low, execrable, despicable, base

4. obscene; pornographic; indecent:

   a dirty joke.

   Synonyms: vulgar, raunchy, lewd, nasty, lascivious

5. undesirable or unpleasant; thankless:

   He left the dirty work for me.

6. very unfortunate or regrettable:

   That's a dirty shame!

7. not fair or sportsmanlike; unscrupulous:

   a dirty fighter.

8. hostile, insulting, contemptuous, or resentful:

   She gave me a dirty look.

   He made a dirty crack about the cooking.

9. (of a nuclear weapon) producing a relatively large amount of radioactive fallout.
10. (of the weather) stormy; squally:

    It looks dirty to windward.

    Synonyms: nasty, inclement, foul, rainy

11. Informal. obtained through illegal or disreputable means:

    dirty money.

12. appearing as if soiled; dark-colored; dingy; drab.

    Synonyms: dull

13. Slang. using or in possession of narcotics.
14. Foreign Exchange. (of currency floats) manipulated, as by a central bank influencing or changing exchange rates ( clean ).

verb (used with or without object)

, dirt·ied, dirt·y·ing.

1. to make or become dirty.

   Synonyms: sully, befoul, soil

adverb

1. Informal. in a mean, unscrupulous, or underhand way:

   to play dirty.

2. Informal. in a lewd manner:

   to talk dirty.

dirty

/ ˈdɜːtɪ /

adjective

1. covered or marked with dirt; filthy
2. 1. obscene; salacious

      dirty books

   2. sexually clandestine

      a dirty weekend

3. causing one to become grimy

   a dirty job

4. (of a colour) not clear and bright; impure
5. unfair; dishonest; unscrupulous; unsporting
6. mean; nasty

   a dirty cheat

7. scandalous; unkind

   a dirty rumour

8. revealing dislike or anger

   a dirty look

9. (of weather) rainy or squally; stormy
10. (of an aircraft) having projections into the airstream, such as lowered flaps
11. (of an explosive device) modified to cause radioactive contamination Compare clean
12. be dirty on slang.
    to be offended by or be hostile towards
13. dirty dog
    a despicable person
14. dirty linen informal.
    intimate secrets, esp those that might give rise to gossip
15. dirty pool slang.
    dishonest behaviour
16. dirty word
    1. an obscene word
    2. something that is regarded with disapproval

       federalism is a dirty word

17. dirty work
    unpleasant or illicit activity
18. do the dirty on informal.
    to behave meanly or unkindly towards

verb

1. to make or become dirty; stain; soil

Derived Forms

• ˈdirtily, adverb
• ˈdirtiness, noun

Other Words From

• dirti·ly adverb
• dirti·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of dirty¹

First recorded in 1520–30; dirt + -y ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. do (someone) dirty, Slang. to treat unfairly or reprehensibly, as by cheating or slandering.

More idioms and phrases containing dirty

• down and dirty
• wash one's dirty linen in public

Synonym Study

Dirty, filthy, foul, squalid refer to that which is not clean. Dirty is applied to that which is filled or covered with dirt so that it is unclean or defiled: dirty clothes. Filthy is an emphatic word suggesting something that is excessively soiled or dirty: filthy streets. Both dirty and filthy can refer to obscenity: a dirty mind, a filthy novel. Foul implies an uncleanness that is grossly offensive to the senses: a foul odor. Squalid, applied usually to dwellings or surroundings, implies dirtiness that results from the slovenly indifference often associated with poverty: a squalid tenement.

Example Sentences

The aristocrat who still mourns the “loss” of India, who shields his crimes and dirty laundry beneath the Official Secrets Act.

From Los Angeles Times

"We've got dirty old rolling stock. It's a sham, it really is."

From BBC

The studio has pushed back on the notion that it did Eastwood dirty with its release strategy.

From Los Angeles Times

McCoy said he is disgusted by Christians saying they “don’t do politics because politics is dirty, as though the rest of the world and they themselves are pure.”

From Los Angeles Times

The UK closed its last remaining coal power station in September, proving that electricity in major economies can still flow without the dirtiest fossil fuel.

From BBC

Related Words

• contaminated
• crummy
• disheveled
• dusty
• filthy
• greasy
• grimy
• messy
• muddy
• murky
• nasty
• polluted
• sloppy
• stained
• unkempt