English Reference

Word

dirty

US/ˈdɝti/

UK/dˈɜːti/

Definitions

01unclean

A1

adj. covered with dirt, mud, or something else that is not clean.

adj. soiled or stained with physical impurities such as grime, dust, or mud.

“Don't sit on the sofa in those dirty clothes after playing outside.”

“The mechanic's hands were permanently stained with dirty oil, a testament to decades spent repairing heavy machinery in the workshop.”

Antonyms

02unfair or dishonest

B1

adj. unfair, dishonest, or breaking the rules.

adj. violating accepted standards of fairness, ethics, or legality.

“The politician was accused of using dirty tricks to win the election.”

“The investigation revealed a series of dirty financial deals that had been hidden from the board of directors for years.”

Antonyms

03obscene or indecent

B2

adj. related to sex in a way that some people find offensive or rude.

adj. morally offensive, indecent, or lewd, particularly in a sexual context.

“He was embarrassed when his friend told a dirty joke at the dinner table.”

“The censors demanded that several dirty passages be removed from the manuscript before it could be approved for general publication.”

Informal

Antonyms

04with olive juice

C1 · Cooking

adj. used to describe a cocktail, like a martini, that has olive juice in it.

adj. referring to a cocktail, typically a martini, prepared with the addition of olive brine or juice.

“She ordered a dirty martini with extra olives at the hotel bar.”

“The bartender noted that a truly dirty martini requires high-quality brine to balance the botanical notes of the gin.”

Informal

05unhealthy and indulgent

C1 · Cooking

adj. used to describe food that is very high in fat or calories but tastes great.

adj. referring to food that is highly indulgent, often featuring excessive toppings or high caloric density.

“We went out for dirty fries covered in cheese and bacon after the game.”

“The menu specialized in dirty burgers, attracting a late-night crowd looking for maximalist comfort food.”

Slang

Antonyms

06containing noise

C1 · Music

adj. having unwanted background noise or distortion in a recording.

adj. characterised by unwanted signal noise, distortion, or lack of acoustic clarity.

“The producer wanted a dirty guitar sound for the rock track.”

“The engineer spent hours trying to clean up the dirty audio feed from the remote location before the broadcast went live.”

Technical

Synonyms

Antonyms

07to make unclean

B1

v. to make something become not clean.

v. to soil or stain something; to cause a surface to become physically unclean.

“Try not to dirty your new shoes while walking through the park.”

“The children managed to dirty the white carpet within minutes of arriving home from their rainy football practice.”

Synonyms

Antonyms

Etymology

From Middle English dirti, alteration of earlier dritti, equivalent to dirt + -y. Cognate with Middle Low German drēterich (“dirty”). See also drite.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Related words

Idioms

air one's dirty laundry in public — To reveal one's sordid secrets to the public.

air one's dirty linen in public — Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.

dirty laundry — Unflattering or embarrassing facts, or questionable activities that one wants to remain secret, but which someone else may use as blackmail.

dirty look — An unpleasant or disdainful look or expression, often directed at someone.

dirty money — Money that is illegally gained, illegally transferred or illegally utilized, especially money gained through forgery, bribery, prostitution, money laundering, or theft.

dirty pool — Foul play; misconduct; underhandedness.

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

dirty work — One or more unpleasant tasks, assignments, or employment duties, especially those of a disreputable or illicit nature.

do the dirty on — To treat (someone) in an unfair manner; to cheat or betray.

get one's hands dirty — To get involved with the unpleasant parts of a task, such as manual labor or unethical activities.

Show all 14

get the dirty water off one's chest — To get sexual satisfaction, especially after a period of abstinence.

talk dirty — To use profane language, especially sexual vulgarities for the purpose of arousal.

wash one's dirty laundry in public — Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.

wash one's dirty linen in public — Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.

Domains

AviationComputingMusic

This entry

Level
A1 · Beginner
Frequency
Common
Updated

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English Reference