What does "dirty" mean?
Anything that is dirty.
Dirty
/ˈdɝti/ adj, adv, noun, verb, slang
adj, adv, noun, verb, slang ·Top 500 ·Elementary level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Anything that is dirty.
- Grammar: dirty is listed as adj, adv, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: begrime, filthy, soil, soiled.
- Useful contrasts: dirtless, grimeless, aseptic.
- Usage evidence: He exclaimed, "What a dirty face you have!"
How to use "dirty"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "dirty" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "dirty" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "dirty" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "dirty" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "dirty" is acting as adj, adv, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "begrime" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "dirty", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Anything that is dirty.
"I had to get started on the trays. […] I started emptying it from the bottom, putting the dirties in the water. Then I could put the clean ones in the empty spaces to dry while I pulled more dirties from the next shelf up."
Verb
- 1 To make (something) dirty. transitive
- 2 make soiled, filthy, or dirty wordnet
- 3 To stain or tarnish (somebody) with dishonor. transitive
- 4 To debase by distorting the real nature of (something). transitive
- 5 To become soiled. intransitive
"The markers for the slow line signals have been arranged at cab level, but for the inner fast lines they have had to be kept low in the "six-foot", with the result that they tend to be badly dirtied by passing traffic."
Adjective
- 1 Unclean; covered with or containing unpleasant substances such as dirt or grime.
"Despite a walk in the rain, my shoes weren't too dirty."
- 2 That makes one unclean; corrupting, infecting.
"Don't put that in your mouth, dear. It's dirty."
- 3 Morally unclean; obscene or indecent, especially sexually.
"At the reception, Uncle Nick got drunk and told dirty jokes to the bridesmaids."
- 4 Dishonorable; violating accepted standards or rules.
"He might have scored, but it was a dirty trick that won him the penalty."
- 5 Corrupt, illegal, or improper.
"I won't accept your dirty money!"
Show 13 more definitions
- 6 Out of tune.
"You need to tune that guitar: the G string sounds dirty."
- 7 Of color, discolored by impurities.
"The old flag was a dirty white."
- 8 Containing data needing to be written back to memory or disk.
"Occasionally it reads the sector into a dirty buffer, which means it needs to sync the dirty buffer first."
- 9 Carrying illegal drugs among one's possessions or inside of one's bloodstream. slang
"None of y'all get into my car if you're dirty."
- 10 Used as an intensifier, especially in conjunction with "great". informal
"He lives in a dirty great mansion."
- 11 Sleety; gusty; stormy.
"dirty weather"
- 12 Of an alcoholic beverage, especially a cocktail or mixed drink: served with the juice of olives. slang
"dirty martini"
- 13 Of food, indulgent in an unhealthy way.
"You can call it quick-and-dirty if you like, but there are billions of dollars out there riding on the supposition that fast food is not necessarily dirty food."
- 14 Of food, covered in an array of indulgent toppings.
"Lardo in Portland, Oregon, serves "dirty fries" topped with fried rosemary, peppers, lardons, and Parmesan."
- 15 Spreading harmful radiation over a wide area.
"a dirty explosion"
- 16 Having the undercarriage or flaps in the down position.
- 17 Of an audio recording: containing unwanted noise.
- 18 Producing much ash.
Adjective
- 1 unpleasantly stormy wordnet
- 2 soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime wordnet
- 3 (of behavior or especially language) characterized by obscenity or indecency wordnet
- 4 spreading pollution or contamination; especially radioactive contamination wordnet
- 5 unethical or dishonest wordnet
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 violating accepted standards or rules wordnet
- 7 expressing or revealing hostility or dislike wordnet
- 8 obtained illegally or by improper means wordnet
- 9 (of a manuscript) defaced with changes wordnet
- 10 vile; despicable wordnet
- 11 (of color) discolored by impurities; not bright and clear; ‘dirty’ is often used in combination wordnet
- 12 contaminated with infecting organisms wordnet
Adverb
- 1 In a dirty manner.
"to play dirty"
Example
"He exclaimed, "What a dirty face you have!""
Common questions
What is a synonym for "dirty"?
Common synonyms include: begrime, filthy, soil, soiled, unclean, abject.
How do you use "dirty" in a sentence?
He exclaimed, "What a dirty face you have!"
How do you pronounce "dirty"?
Pronounced /ˈdɝti/.
Etymology
From Middle English dirti, alteration of earlier dritti, equivalent to dirt + -y. Cognate with Middle Low German drēterich (“dirty”). See also drite.