# dirty word

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/dirty-word
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

The name of a topic that a person prefers not to hear or discuss.

## Examples

- In this office, budget cuts are a dirty word.
- After the failed merger, the name of the rival company became a dirty word among the staff.
- For the traditionalists in the department, any mention of radical innovation was treated as a dirty word that threatened their established way of working.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.