dirty
- 01 A1 Beginner
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.
Simple“Don't sit on the sofa in those dirty clothes after playing outside.”
In context“The mechanic's hands were permanently stained with dirty oil, a testament to decades spent repairing heavy machinery in the workshop.”
- 02 B1 Intermediate
adj.unfair, dishonest, or breaking the rules.
adj.violating accepted standards of fairness, ethics, or legality.
Simple“The politician was accused of using dirty tricks to win the election.”
In context“The investigation revealed a series of dirty financial deals that had been hidden from the board of directors for years.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
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.
Simple“He was embarrassed when his friend told a dirty joke at the dinner table.”
In context“The censors demanded that several dirty passages be removed from the manuscript before it could be approved for general publication.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
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.
Simple“She ordered a dirty martini with extra olives at the hotel bar.”
In context“The bartender noted that a truly dirty martini requires high-quality brine to balance the botanical notes of the gin.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
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.
Simple“We went out for dirty fries covered in cheese and bacon after the game.”
In context“The menu specialized in dirty burgers, attracting a late-night crowd looking for maximalist comfort food.”
- 06 C1 Advanced
adj.having unwanted background noise or distortion in a recording.
adj.characterised by unwanted signal noise, distortion, or lack of acoustic clarity.
Simple“The producer wanted a dirty guitar sound for the rock track.”
In context“The engineer spent hours trying to clean up the dirty audio feed from the remote location before the broadcast went live.”
- 07 B1 Intermediate
v.to make something become not clean.
v.to soil or stain something; to cause a surface to become physically unclean.
Simple“Try not to dirty your new shoes while walking through the park.”
In context“The children managed to dirty the white carpet within minutes of arriving home from their rainy football practice.”
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.