dirty

The word “dirty” means unclean or covered in dirt, grime, or other unpleasant matter. In plain terms, physically unclean, or (figuratively) morally wrong, obscene, or corrupt.

“Dirty” is pronounced DUR-tee (/ˈdɝti/ in IPA).

Here is “dirty” used in a sentence: “His boots were dirty after the hike through the mud.”

Words with a similar meaning to “dirty” include assoil, beclart, bedaub, bedirty, imbrue (especially with blood) and bedizen.

The opposite of “dirty” — its antonyms — are clean and make clean.

Depending on how it is used, “dirty” can be an adjective and a verb.

The word “dirty” comes from Middle English. From Middle English dirti, an alteration of dritti, built from dirt plus the adjective ending -y.

“Dirty” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

Both mean unclean, but filthy is far stronger. Dirty covers anything not clean, from lightly dusty to muddy. Filthy suggests extreme, disgusting dirt — thick grime or squalor. A pair of shoes can be dirty after a walk; they are filthy only when caked in mud. Filthy is dirty taken to an extreme.

The opposite of dirty is clean — free from dirt, grime, and marks. Related antonyms include spotless, pristine, and immaculate, which describe something not just clean but perfectly so. Where dirty means covered in unpleasant matter, clean means that matter has been removed and the surface is fresh.

Yes. Besides physical dirt, dirty can mean unfair or dishonest, as in a dirty trick or dirty tactics. It can describe rude or offensive language, and in sport a 'dirty' player breaks the rules. The common thread is something tainted or improper, whether a surface, a deed, or a reputation.

Muddy boots after a hike, greasy hands after fixing a car, a grimy window, or dishes left unwashed in the sink are all dirty. Anything marked, stained, or coated in grime, dust, or mess fits. Children playing outside usually come home dirty — covered in the day's dirt and grass stains.