dirty

SayDUR-tee/ˈdɝti//ˈdɜːti/

Adjectivedirtier, dirtiest

Verbdirties, dirtying, dirtied

20 meanings of dirty

Practice

1
not cleanadjective
Covered with dirt, dust, or anything that is not clean.
Like a window so covered in mud that you can't see through it.
The kids came home with dirty hands after playing outside.
Please don't put those dirty socks back in the drawer.
UsageSay get dirty. Forms: dirtier, dirtiest.
Similarfilthy, grubby, unclean, soiled, foul
Oppositeclean
Note
2
sexualadjective
Rude or sexual in a way that many people find shocking or wrong.
He told a dirty joke that made everyone blush.
The movie had too many dirty scenes for young kids.
UsageOften in dirty joke and dirty talk.
Similarobscene, indecent, lewd, raunchy, salacious
Oppositeclean, decent, wholesome
Note
3
foul playadjective
Not fair or honest, and breaking the agreed rules.
That was a dirty trick to win the game.
Players who use dirty tactics often get banned.
UsageOften in a dirty trick.
Similarunsporting, cheating, foul, unsportsmanlike
Oppositesportsmanlike
Note
4
corruptadjective
Connected with crime, or made through illegal acts.
The police seized a bag full of dirty money.
He built his fortune through dirty deals with criminals.
UsageOften in dirty money.
Similardishonest, corrupt, unethical, dishonorable, sordid
Oppositeclean, honest, legitimate, ethical
Note
5
make filthyverbtransitive
To make something dirty, or to get dirty.
Try not to dirty your new shoes in the mud.
The painters dirtied the carpet with their boots.
UsageForms: dirties, dirtied, dirtying.
Similarsoil, stain, muddy, smudge, foul
Oppositeclean, wash, cleanse
6
dull (color)adjective
Of a color, made dull or less pure by something mixed in.
The walls were painted a dirty yellow that looked old.
Her old dress had faded to a dirty white.
UsageUse it before a color: dirty yellow.
Similarmuddy, dingy, muddied
Oppositebright, pure
Note
7
contaminatedadjective
Able to make a person unclean, spreading sickness or moral harm.
Sharing dirty needles can spread serious diseases.
Old beliefs treated certain foods as dirty and forbidden.
Similarunclean, impure, polluted, foul, contaminated
Oppositeclean, pure, wholesome
Note
8
radioactiveadjective
Used about a bomb or weapon that scatters dangerous radioactive material over a large area.
They worried that a dirty bomb might contaminate the downtown blocks.
A dirty bomb can leave a whole neighborhood unsafe for years.
UsageMostly in dirty bomb.
Similarradioactive, radiological
Oppositeclean
Note
9
distorted (sound)adjective
Of sound, rough or fuzzy, either because of unwanted noise or because a musician wants it that way.
Like trying to hear someone talk over a noisy, crowded room.
The old tape sounded dirty, full of hiss and crackle.
He turned up the amp until his guitar had a dirty, growling sound.
Similarnoisy, distorted, scratchy
Oppositeclean, clear, pristine

Less common meanings

10
unfairlyadverb
In a way that is unfair or not clean.
If you play dirty, you might get caught cheating.
They fought dirty to win the match.
UsageSay play dirty or fight dirty.
Similarunderhandedly
Oppositefair, clean
11
olive juiceadjectiveslang
Of a drink, especially a cocktail, made with a splash of olive juice.
She ordered a dirty martini with extra olives.
I like my martini dirty, with plenty of olive juice.
UsageMostly in dirty martini.
12
unhealthy foodadjective
Used of food that is greasy, rich, and covered in toppings, in an enjoyable way.
A dirty burger with extra cheese is my weekend treat.
We ordered a huge plate of dirty fries late at night.
UsageUsed before food names: dirty fries, a dirty burger.
Similarindulgent, decadent
Oppositehealthy, clean, wholesome, light
Note
13
harm reputationverbtransitive
To damage someone's good name, or to make something seem worse than it is.
The scandal could dirty his good name forever.
They tried to dirty her reputation with false rumors.
Similartarnish, sully, stain, smear, blacken
Oppositeclear
14
carrying drugsadjectiveslang
Carrying illegal drugs, or having them in your blood.
The guard caught him dirty with pills in his pocket.
If you test dirty, you could lose your job.
UsageOften test dirty for drugs.
Similarpositive
Oppositeclean, negative
Note
15
veryadjectivecolloquial
Used to make the next word stronger, often before 'great'.
There was a dirty great hole in the middle of the road.
He drove up in a dirty great truck.
UsageSay a dirty great + thing: a dirty great truck.
Similarwhopping, whacking, thumping
16
stormyadjective
Used about weather that is rough and stormy, with sleet and strong wind.
Like the worst kind of winter day, when wind and sleet hit you at once.
We stayed in port because the weather turned dirty overnight.
The fishermen stayed in port because of the dirty weather.
Similarstormy, foul, rough, squally, nasty
Oppositefair, calm, fine
Note
17
out of tuneadjective
Not playing or singing at the right pitch.
His guitar sounded dirty until he tuned it.
The two flutes sounded dirty together because one was a bit sharp.
Similaroff-key, sour, discordant, tuneless
Oppositeclean, harmonious, tuneful
18
adjective
Holding changed data that has not yet been saved to memory or disk.
19
adjective
Describes a plane that is flying with its wheels and flaps down.
20
adjectiverare
In computer cell simulations, describes a pattern that leaves lots of stray cells behind.

Practice

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Origin

From Middle English dirti, an older form of the word made from dirt plus -y.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

Dirty comes from Middle English dirti, an older form of the word. en.wiktionary.org
The word is formed from dirt plus the suffix -y. en.wiktionary.org