dirty Meaning & Definition
What Does Dirty Mean?
Dirty is used as an adjective meaning Unclean; covered with or containing unpleasant substances such as dirt or grime. It is also used to mean That makes one unclean; corrupting, infecting. As an adverb, it means In a dirty manner. As a verb, it means To make (something) dirty.
Dirty: Key Facts
| Part of speech | adjective, adverb, verb, noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɜːti/ |
| Synonyms | salacious, obscene and sordid |
| Antonyms | clean, unobjectionable and make clean |
| Plural | dirties |
| Comparative / superlative | dirtier, dirtiest |
| Verb forms | dirties, dirtying, dirtied |
Dirty Definition (Adjective)
- Unclean; covered with or containing unpleasant substances such as dirt or grime.
Despite a walk in the rain, my shoes weren't too dirty.
- That makes one unclean; corrupting, infecting.
Don't put that in your mouth, dear. It's dirty.
- Morally unclean; obscene or indecent, especially sexually.
At the reception, Uncle Nick got drunk and told dirty jokes to the bridesmaids.
- Dishonorable; violating accepted standards or rules.
He might have scored, but it was a dirty trick that won him the penalty.
- Corrupt, illegal, or improper.
I won't accept your dirty money!
- Out of tune.
You need to tune that guitar: the G string sounds dirty.
- Of color, discolored by impurities.
The old flag was a dirty white.
- Containing data needing to be written back to memory or disk.
Occasionally it reads the sector into a dirty buffer, which means it needs to sync the dirty buffer first.
- Carrying illegal drugs among one's possessions or inside of one's bloodstream.
None of y'all get into my car if you're dirty.
- Used as an intensifier, especially in conjunction with "great".
He lives in a dirty great mansion.
- Sleety; gusty; stormy.
dirty weather
- Of an alcoholic beverage, especially a cocktail or mixed drink: served with the juice of olives.
dirty martini
- Of food, indulgent in an unhealthy way.
- Of food, covered in an array of indulgent toppings.
- Spreading harmful radiation over a wide area.
a dirty explosion
- Having the undercarriage or flaps in the down position.
- Of an audio recording: containing unwanted noise.
- Producing much ash.
- Containing something out of focus in the foreground, so as to frame the main subject.
Dirty as an Adverb
- In a dirty manner.
to play dirty
Dirty as a Verb
- To make (something) dirty.
- To stain or tarnish (somebody) with dishonor.
- To debase by distorting the real nature of (something).
- To become soiled; to soil or defecate on.
Dirty as a Noun
- Anything that is dirty.
Verb
- To become soiled.
Adjective
- Dishonourable; violating accepted standards or rules.
He might have scored, but it was a dirty trick that won him the penalty.
Synonyms of Dirty
Antonyms of Dirty
Dirty in a Sentence
Despite a walk in the rain, my shoes weren't too dirty.
Don't put that in your mouth, dear. It's dirty.
At the reception, Uncle Nick got drunk and told dirty jokes to the bridesmaids.
He might have scored, but it was a dirty trick that won him the penalty.
I won't accept your dirty money!
You need to tune that guitar: the G string sounds dirty.
The old flag was a dirty white.
Occasionally it reads the sector into a dirty buffer, which means it needs to sync the dirty buffer first.
None of y'all get into my car if you're dirty.
He lives in a dirty great mansion.
dirty weather
dirty martini
a dirty explosion
a dirty bomb
to play dirty
The waiter served dirty burgers to the customers.
Word Forms & Grammar
dirty (comparative dirtier, superlative dirtiest)
dirty (comparative more dirty, superlative most dirty)
dirty (third-person singular simple present dirties, present participle dirtying, simple past and past participle dirtied)
dirty (plural dirties)
Words That Rhyme With Dirty
Origin of Dirty
From Middle English dirti, alteration of earlier dritti, equivalent to dirt + -y. Cognate with Middle Low German drēterich (“dirty”). See also drite.
Dirty: Your Questions Answered
Is dirty an adjective or an adverb?
Dirty is mainly used as an adjective, but it can also be used as an adverb, a verb and a noun.
What is another word for dirty?
You can replace dirty with words such as salacious, obscene and sordid. See the full list of dirty synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of dirty?
The opposite of dirty can be expressed with words like clean, unobjectionable, make clean and uncontaminating.
What is the plural of dirty?
The plural of dirty is dirties.
What is the past tense of dirty?
The past tense of dirty is dirtied. The present participle is dirtying.