filthy
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
very, very dirty; covered in mud, grease, or waste.
covered with or containing an extreme amount of filth or grime.
Simple“The children came home with filthy clothes after playing in the mud all afternoon.”
In context“The inspectors found the restaurant's kitchen in a filthy state, with layers of grease coating the ventilation fans and food preparation surfaces.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
very offensive, rude, or showing bad behavior.
morally foul, obscene, or offensive in a way that violates social standards of decency.
Simple“He was punished for using filthy language in the classroom.”
In context“The comedian's routine was criticized for being unnecessarily filthy, relying on crude stereotypes rather than clever observation.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
used to describe very bad weather or a very bad mood.
extremely unpleasant or disagreeable; frequently used to describe inclement weather or a foul temperament.
Simple“It was a filthy night with heavy rain and strong winds.”
In context“The manager was in a filthy mood all morning, snapping at anyone who dared to ask him a question about the budget.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
having a huge amount of money, often in a way that seems unfair.
possessing an excessive or offensive amount of wealth; almost exclusively used in the collocation 'filthy rich'.
Simple“He became filthy rich after selling his tech company to a larger rival.”
In context“While the workers struggled to pay their rent, the company's founders were becoming filthy rich from the stock market flotation.”
- 05 C2 Proficiency
feeling very angry or upset with someone.
experiencing or expressing significant anger, resentment, or annoyance.
Simple“She was absolutely filthy with him for forgetting their anniversary again.”
In context“The coach was filthy at the team's lack of discipline during the final quarter of the match.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'with' or 'at'.
Teacher's tipThis sense is primarily found in Australian and some British dialects; learners should use 'furious' or 'livid' in general international contexts.
From Middle English filthy, filthi, equivalent to filth + -y.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.