He exclaimed, "What a dirty face you have!"
Source: tatoeba (24894)
Dirty
/ˈdɝti/
Synonyms for "dirty" (508 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (102)
Verb(24 words)
begrimesoilassoilbeclartbedaubbedirtybedizenbefilebefilthbefoulbefoulsbemireberaybeshitbesmearbesmirchbesullybewrayblackenblot
Show 4 more words
Adjective(11 words)
abjectabominableabusiveangryanimalaphrodisiomaniacalarrantatrociousattaintbadbarfybasebase-mindedbawdybeastlybedaubbedraggledbefoulbefouledbeggarly
Show 45 more words
begrimebemirebemudbesmearbesmearedbesmirchbesmirchedbesmokebesoilbestainbitterblackblackenblasphemousblotchyblowingblowyblueblurblusteringblusterybrandbroadbumcalumniatorycalumniouscarnalcastellatuscheesycirrosecirrousclitoromaniacalcloud-fleckedcloudedcloudycoarsecomminatoryconcupiscentcontaminatedcontemptiblecontumeliouscorruptcrappycreepycrude
Noun(2 words)
Strong matches (152)
crummycrustycumuliformcumulouscursingcyclonicdamnatorydarkdarkendaubdebaseddeceitfuldefiledefileddegradeddenunciatorydepraveddespicabledingydirt
Show 94 more words
dirty updirty-mindeddiscolordiscomposedisgustingdishonestdishonorabledisloyaldisreputabledraggleddraggletaileddungydustdustydysphemisticearthyepitheticeroticeroticomaniacalerotomaniacalevilevil mindedevil-mindedevilheartedexcommunicativeexcommunicatoryexecrableexecratoryfescenninefilthyflagrantfleshlyfoulfoul mouthedfoul tonguedfoul-mouthedfoul-spokenfoul-tonguedfuliginousfulminatoryfulsomefuriousfustygloomygoatishgodawfulgoshawfulgravegrimgrimegrimygrossgrubbygrungygynecomaniacalhairyheavyheinoushornyhothysteromaniacalickyignobleignominiousimmodestimmoralimprecatoryimpureincontinentindecentinfamousithyphalliclasciviouslecherouslenticularislewdlibertinelibidinouslicentiouslickerishlittlelowlow downlow-downlow-mindedlow-thoughtedlubriciouslumpenluridlustfulmaledictorymalevolentmaliciousmammatus
Adjective(17 words)
Related words (254)
mangymarkmeanmeaslymessymiremirymiserablemonstrousmuckmuck upmuckymuddymurkmurkymustynastynaughtynebulousnefarious
Show 159 more words
nimbosenoisomenubilousnymphomaniacalobnoxiousobsceneodiousoff coloroffensiveoozyoutrageousovercastovercloudedpaltrypawperfidiouspettyplashypokypollutepollutedpoorpornographicpriapicprofaneprurientpunkputridrabelaisianracyragingrainyrandyrankrattyraunchyrawreptilianresentfulribaldrisquerottenroughrudesalacioussatyricscabbyscabrousscatologicscatologicalscorchscrubbyscruffyscummyscurrilescurrilousscurvysearsensualsexualsexyshabbyshittyshoddysingeslabbyslatternlysleazyslimeslobbysloppysloshysloughyslovenlyslubbersludgyslurslushysmallsmearsmirchsmirchedsmirchysmokesmoking-roomsmokysmoochsmudgesmudgedsmudgysmutchysmuttysnuffysoftsoilsoiledsoilysootsootysordidsplashysposhyspottedspottysqualidsquallysquashysquelchysquishystagnantstainstainedstigmatizestinkingstinkystormingstormystratiformstratoussuggestivesulliedsullysultrytabootainttaintedtartarnishtempestuousthunderheadedtornadictreacherousturbidturbulenttyphonictyphoonishunchasteuncleanuncleanlyunderhandedunfairunmentionableunprintableunrepeatableunscrupulousunsportingunsportsmanlikeuntidyunwashedvilevillainousvituperativevomityvulgarwildwindywrathfulwretchedyecchy
Adjective(36 words)
Verb(19 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: begrime, filthy, soil, soiled, unclean.
- Sentence evidence is available for dirty, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, opengloss, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "dirty".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "dirty"
Keep "dirty" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "dirty" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "dirty", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "dirty" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
16 entriesadverbalterchangechange of stateconditioncontaminationdamagedefamationimmoralitymanner adverbmodifypollutionstatetransitive verbuncleannessunethical conduct
More specific
16 entriesCollocations
9 entriesdirty clothesdirty dishesdirty handsdirty laundrydirty lookdirty roomdirty secretdirty trickdirty water
Inflections
7 entriesDerivations
4 entriesAntonyms
2 entriessimilar
68 entriesShowing 16 of 68 words.
Translations
79 translations across 38 languages.
Afrikaans
1 entries- vuil adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Armenian
1 entries- կեղտոտ adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Asturian
2 entries- gochu adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- puercu adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Bulgarian
2 entries- неприличен adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- циничен adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Chinese Mandarin
2 entries- 淫穢的 /淫秽的 adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- 骯髒 /肮脏 adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Czech
1 entries- sprostý adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Danish
1 entries- beskidt adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Dutch
4 entries- obsceen adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- schunnig adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- vuil adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- vulgair adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Finnish
4 entries- hävytön adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- rivo adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- ruma adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- säädytön adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
French
1 entries- cochon adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
German
4 entries- dreckig adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- obszön adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- ordinär adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- schmutzig adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Greek
1 entries- βρόμικος adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Hebrew
1 entries- מלוכלך \ מְלֻכְלָךְ adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Hungarian
1 entries- piszkos adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Ido
2 entries- perversa adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- sordida adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Irish
3 entries- cáidheach adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- gáirsiúil adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- salach adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Italian
2 entries- indecente adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- sporco adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Jamaican Creole
1 entries- dutty adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Ladino
1 entries- murdar adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Lakota
1 entries- šikšíl adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Latvian
3 entries- netīrs adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- neķītrs adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- nešķīsts adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Lithuanian
2 entries- nepadorus adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- nešvankus adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Malay
1 entries- kotor adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Marathi
3 entries- घाणेरडा adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- घाणेरडी adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- घाणेरडे adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Northern Kurdish
1 entries- pîs adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Pashto
1 entries- سخا adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Plautdietsch
2 entries- orrein adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- schmutzich adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Polish
3 entries- nieprzyzwoity adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- sprośny adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- świński adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Portuguese
1 entries- sujo adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Romanian
4 entries- indecent adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- murdar adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- necuviincios adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- obscen adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Russian
3 entries- гря́зный adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- са́льный adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- скабрёзный adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Slovene
1 entries- umazan adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Spanish
4 entries- guarro adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- indecente adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- lascivo adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- lúbrico adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Swedish
1 entries- snuskig adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Turkish
1 entries- müstehcen adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Venetan
3 entries- desconsà adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- onto adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- sporco adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Vietnamese
3 entries- bậy adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- bậy bạ adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
- tục tĩu adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Yiddish
1 entries- מיאוס adj (morally unclean, obscene or indecent)
Sample sentences
39 total sentences available.
Please clean the dirty floor.
Source: tatoeba (25714)
Never rub your eyes with dirty hands.
Source: tatoeba (25715)
You may take the book home so long as you don't get it dirty.
Source: tatoeba (25716)
Showing 4 of 39 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "dirty"?
Closest matches include begrime, filthy, soil, soiled, unclean.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "dirty"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.