Adjacent Words

Dirty definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

DIRTY, a. Durty.
1. Foul; nasty; filthy; not clean; as dirty hands.
2. Not clean; not pure; turbid; as dirty water.
3. Cloudy; dark; dusky; as a dirty white.
4. Mean; base; low; despicable; groveling; as a dirty fellow; a dirty employment.
DIRTY, v.t. durty.
1. To foul; to make filthy; to soil; as, to dirty the clothes or hands.
2. To tarnish; to sully; to scandalize; applied to reputation.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime; "dirty unswept sidewalks"; "a child in dirty overalls"; "dirty slums"; "piles of dirty dishes"; "put his dirty feet on the clean sheet"; "wore an unclean shirt"; "mining is a dirty job"; "Cinderella did the dirty work while her sisters preened themselves" [syn: dirty, soiled, unclean] [ant: clean]
2: (of behavior or especially language) characterized by obscenity or indecency; "dirty words"; "a dirty old man"; "dirty books and movies"; "boys telling dirty jokes"; "has a dirty mouth" [ant: clean, unobjectionable]
3: vile; despicable; "a dirty (or lousy) trick"; "a filthy traitor" [syn: dirty, filthy, lousy]
4: spreading pollution or contamination; especially radioactive contamination; "the air near the foundry was always dirty"; "a dirty bomb releases enormous amounts of long-lived radioactive fallout" [syn: dirty, contaminating] [ant: clean, uncontaminating]
5: contaminated with infecting organisms; "dirty wounds"; "obliged to go into infected rooms"- Jane Austen [syn: dirty, pestiferous]
6: (of color) discolored by impurities; not bright and clear; "dirty" is often used in combination; "a dirty (or dingy) white"; "the muddied grey of the sea"; "muddy colors"; "dirty-green walls"; "dirty-blonde hair" [syn: dirty, dingy, muddied, muddy]
7: (of a manuscript) defaced with changes; "foul (or dirty) copy" [syn: dirty, foul, marked-up]
8: obtained illegally or by improper means; "dirty money"; "ill- gotten gains" [syn: dirty, ill-gotten]
9: expressing or revealing hostility or dislike; "dirty looks"
10: violating accepted standards or rules; "a dirty fighter"; "used foul means to gain power"; "a nasty unsporting serve"; "fined for unsportsmanlike behavior" [syn: cheating, dirty, foul, unsporting, unsportsmanlike]
11: unethical or dishonest; "dirty police officers"; "a sordid political campaign" [syn: dirty, sordid]
12: unpleasantly stormy; "there's dirty weather in the offing" v
1: make soiled, filthy, or dirty; "don't soil your clothes when you play outside!" [syn: dirty, soil, begrime, grime, colly, bemire] [ant: clean, make clean]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective (dirtier; -est) Date: 14th century 1. a. not clean or pure <dirty clothes> b. likely to befoul or defile with dirt <dirty jobs> c. contaminated with infecting organisms <dirty wounds> d. containing impurities <dirty coal> 2. a. morally unclean or corrupt: as (1) indecent, vulgar <dirty jokes> <a dirty movie> (2) dishonorable, base <a dirty trick> (3) unsportsmanlike <dirty players> b. acquired by disreputable or illegal means ; ill-gotten <dirty money> c. disagreeable, distasteful, or objectionable but usually necessary (as in achieving a desired result) <hired a thug to do their dirty work> 3. a. abominable, hateful <war is a dirty business> b. highly regrettable <a dirty shame> c. likely to cause disgrace or scandal <dirty little secrets> 4. foggy, stormy <dirty weather> 5. a. of color not clear and bright ; dullish <dirty blond> b. characterized by a husky, rasping, or raw tonal quality <dirty trumpet tones> 6. conveying ill-natured resentment <gave him a dirty look> 7. having considerable fallout <dirty bombs> • dirtily adverb • dirtiness noun Synonyms: dirty, filthy, foul, nasty, squalid mean conspicuously unclean or impure. dirty emphasizes the presence of dirt more than an emotional reaction to it <a dirty littered street>. filthy carries a strong suggestion of offensiveness and typically of gradually accumulated dirt that begrimes and besmears <a stained greasy floor, utterly filthy>. foul implies extreme offensiveness and an accumulation of what is rotten or stinking <a foul-smelling open sewer>. nasty applies to what is actually foul or is repugnant to one expecting freshness, cleanliness, or sweetness <it's a nasty job to clean up after a sick cat>. In practice, nasty is often weakened to the point of being no more than a synonym of unpleasant or disagreeable <had a nasty fall> <his answer gave her a nasty shock>. squalid adds to the idea of dirtiness and filth that of slovenly neglect <squalid slums>. All these terms are also applicable to moral uncleanness or baseness or obscenity. dirty then stresses meanness or despicableness <don't ask me to do your dirty work>, while filthy and foul describe disgusting obscenity or loathsome behavior <filthy street language> <a foul story of lust and greed>, and nasty implies a peculiarly offensive unpleasantness <a stand-up comedian known for nasty humor>. Distinctively, squalid implies sordidness as well as baseness and dirtiness <engaged in a series of squalid affairs>. II. adverb (dirtier; -est) Date: circa 1931 in a dirty manner: as a. deceptively, underhandedly <fight dirty> b. indecently <talk dirty> III. verb (dirtied; dirtying) Date: 1591 transitive verb 1. to make dirty 2. a. to stain with dishonor ; sully b. to debase by distorting the real nature of intransitive verb to become soiled

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj., adv., & v. --adj. (dirtier, dirtiest) 1 soiled, unclean. 2 causing one to become dirty (a dirty job). 3 sordid, lewd; morally illicit or questionable (dirty joke). 4 unpleasant, nasty. 5 dishonest, dishonourable, unfair (dirty play). 6 (of weather) rough, squally. 7 (of a colour) not pure or clear, dingy. 8 colloq. (of a nuclear weapon) producing considerable radioactive fallout. --adv. sl. (with adjectives expressing magnitude) very (a dirty great diamond). --v.tr. & intr. (-ies, -ied) make or become dirty. Phrases and idioms: dirty dog colloq. a scoundrel; a despicable person. the dirty end of the stick colloq. the difficult or unpleasant part of an undertaking, situation, etc. dirty linen (or washing) colloq. intimate secrets, esp. of a scandalous nature. dirty look colloq. a look of disapproval, anger, or disgust. dirty money extra money paid to those who handle dirty materials. dirty trick 1 a dishonourable and deceitful act. 2 (in pl.) underhand political activity, esp. to discredit an opponent. dirty weekend colloq. a weekend spent clandestinely with a lover. dirty word 1 an offensive or indecent word. 2 a word for something which is disapproved of (profit is a dirty word). dirty work dishonourable or illegal activity, esp. done clandestinely. do the dirty on colloq. play a mean trick on. Derivatives: dirtily adv. dirtiness n.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Dirty Dirt"y, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dirtied; p. pr. & vb. n. Dirtying.] 1. To foul; to make filthy; to soil; as, to dirty the clothes or hands. 2. To tarnish; to sully; to scandalize; -- said of reputation, character, etc.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Dirty Dirt"y, a. [Compar. Dirtier; superl. Dirtiest.] 1. Defiled with dirt; foul; nasty; filthy; not clean or pure; serving to defile; as, dirty hands; dirty water; a dirty white. --Spenser. 2. Sullied; clouded; -- applied to color. --Locke. 3. Sordid; base; groveling; as, a dirty fellow. The creature's at his dirty work again. --Pope. 4. Sleety; gusty; stormy; as, dirty weather. Storms of wind, clouds of dust, an angry, dirty sea. --M. Arnold. Syn: Nasty; filthy; foul. See Nasty.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(dirtier, dirtiest, dirties, dirtying, dirtied) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. If something is dirty, it is marked or covered with stains, spots, or mud, and needs to be cleaned. She still did not like the woman who had dirty fingernails... = grubby ? clean ADJ 2. To dirty something means to cause it to become dirty. He was afraid the dog's hairs might dirty the seats... VERB: V n 3. If you describe an action as dirty, you disapprove of it and consider it unfair, immoral, or dishonest. The gunman had been hired by a rival Mafia family to do the dirty deed. ADJ: usu ADJ n [disapproval] • Dirty is also an adverb. Jim Browne is the kind of fellow who can fight dirty. ADV: ADV after v 4. If you describe something such as a joke, a book, or someone's language as dirty, you mean that it refers to sex in a way that some people find offensive. They told dirty jokes and sang raucous ballads... ADJ: usu ADJ n • Dirty is also an adverb. I'm often asked whether the men talk dirty to me. The answer is no. ADV: ADV after v 5. Dirty is used before words of criticism to emphasize that you do not approve of someone or something. (INFORMAL) You dirty liar. ADJ: ADJ n [emphasis] 6. If you say that someone washes their dirty linen in public, you disapprove of their discussing or arguing about unpleasant or private things in front of other people. There are several other forms of this expression, for example wash your dirty laundry in public, or in American English, air your dirty laundry in public. We shouldn't wash our dirty laundry in public and if I was in his position, I'd say nothing at all. PHRASE: V inflects [disapproval] 7. If someone gives you a dirty look, they look at you in a way which shows that they are angry with you. (INFORMAL) Michael gave him a dirty look and walked out. PHRASE: N inflects, PHR after v 8. Dirty old man is an expression some people use to describe an older man who they think shows an unnatural interest in sex. PHRASE: N inflects, usu v-link PHR [disapproval] 9. To do someone's dirty work means to do a task for them that is dishonest or unpleasant and which they do not want to do themselves. As a member of an elite army hit squad, the army would send us out to do their dirty work for them. PHRASE: V inflects 10. If you say that an expression is a dirty word in a particular group of people, you mean it refers to an idea that they strongly dislike or disagree with. Marketing became a dirty word at the company. PHRASE: v-link PHR

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. a. 1. Unclean, foul, filthy, nasty, soiled, begrimed. 2. Clouded, cloudy, dark, sullied, dull. 3. Mean, base, vile, low, grovelling, sneaking, pitiful, paltry, beggarly, scurvy, shabby, despicable, contemptible. 4. [Said of weather.] Foul, rainy, sloppy, muddy, sleety, uncomfortable, disagreeable, nasty. II. v. a. Foul, befoul, soil, defile, draggle, daggle.

Moby Thesaurus

Fescennine, Rabelaisian, abject, abominable, abusive, angry, animal, aphrodisiomaniacal, arrant, atrocious, attaint, bad, barfy, base, base-minded, bawdy, bedaub, bedraggled, befoul, befouled, beggarly, begrime, bemire, bemud, besmear, besmeared, besmirch, besmirched, besmoke, besoil, bestain, bitter, black, blacken, blasphemous, blotchy, blowing, blowy, blue, blur, blustering, blustery, brand, bum, calumniatory, calumnious, carnal, castellatus, cheesy, cirrose, cirrous, clitoromaniacal, cloud-flecked, clouded, cloudy, coarse, comminatory, concupiscent, contaminated, contemptible, contumelious, corrupt, crappy, creepy, crummy, cumuliform, cumulous, cursing, cyclonic, damnatory, dark, darken, daub, debased, deceitful, defile, defiled, degraded, denunciatory, depraved, despicable, dingy, dirt, dirty up, dirty-minded, discolor, discompose, disgusting, dishonest, dishonorable, disloyal, draggled, draggletailed, dungy, dust, dusty, dysphemistic, epithetic, erotic, eroticomaniacal, erotomaniacal, evil-minded, evilhearted, excommunicative, excommunicatory, execrable, execratory, filthy, flagrant, fleshly, foul, foul-mouthed, foul-spoken, foul-tongued, fuliginous, fulminatory, fulsome, furious, gloomy, goatish, godawful, goshawful, grave, grim, grime, grimy, gross, grubby, grungy, gynecomaniacal, hairy, heavy, heinous, horny, hot, hysteromaniacal, icky, ignoble, ignominious, immoral, imprecatory, impure, indecent, infamous, ithyphallic, lascivious, lecherous, lenticularis, lewd, libidinous, licentious, lickerish, little, low, low-down, low-minded, low-thoughted, lubricious, lumpen, lurid, lustful, maledictory, malevolent, malicious, mammatus, mangy, mark, mean, measly, messy, mire, miry, miserable, monstrous, muck, muck up, mucky, muddy, murky, nasty, nebulous, nefarious, nimbose, nubilous, nymphomaniacal, obnoxious, obscene, odious, off color, offensive, oozy, overcast, overclouded, paltry, perfidious, petty, plashy, poky, pollute, polluted, poor, pornographic, priapic, profane, prurient, punk, putrid, raging, rainy, randy, rank, raunchy, raw, reptilian, resentful, ribald, risque, rotten, rough, rude, salacious, satyric, scabby, scabrous, scatologic, scatological, scorch, scrubby, scruffy, scummy, scurrile, scurrilous, scurvy, sear, sensual, sexual, sexy, shabby, shitty, shoddy, singe, slabby, slatternly, slime, slobby, sloppy, sloshy, sloughy, slovenly, slubber, sludgy, slur, slushy, small, smear, smirch, smirched, smirchy, smoke, smoking-room, smoky, smooch, smudge, smudged, smudgy, smutchy, smutty, snuffy, soft, soil, soiled, soily, soot, sooty, sordid, splashy, sposhy, spotted, squalid, squally, squashy, squelchy, squishy, stain, stained, stigmatize, stinking, stinky, storming, stormy, stratiform, stratous, sullied, sully, sultry, taint, tainted, tar, tarnish, tempestuous, thunderheaded, tornadic, treacherous, turbid, turbulent, typhonic, typhoonish, unchaste, unclean, uncleanly, underhanded, unfair, unmentionable, unprintable, unrepeatable, unscrupulous, unsporting, unsportsmanlike, untidy, unwashed, vile, villainous, vituperative, vomity, vulgar, windy, wrathful, wretched, yecchy