dirty
gb/dˈɚti/ us/dˈɚti/
A1
English
~ 2900
Senses
0 senses
adjective
A1
property
1
Not clean; soiled
Not clean; having something like dust, mud, or grease on it.
Usage pattern:
[something] is dirty
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'dirty' with 'messy'. 'Dirty' means not clean, while 'messy' means untidy but not necessarily unclean.
Synonyms
unclean (More formal and less common in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
clean (Means free from dirt or unwanted substances.)
Collocations
dirty clothes
|dirty hands
|dirty shoes
|dirty floor
|dirty water
Themes
daily life
|home
|hygiene
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Her shoes were dirty after walking through the park.
- The windows are so dirty you can barely see through them.
- He washed his dirty hands before dinner.
Learner examples
- My shirt is dirty.
- The table is dirty.
- His face is dirty.
adjective
informal
B1
property
2
Sexually rude or offensive
Talking about sex or rude things in a way that may offend people.
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is dirty
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'dirty' in this sense with physically unclean; context usually makes the meaning clear.
Synonyms
obscene (Stronger and more formal; often used in legal contexts.)
Antonyms
innocent (Free from sexual or offensive connotation.)
Collocations
dirty joke
|dirty mind
|dirty talk
Themes
emotions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He told a dirty joke at the party.
- Stop making dirty comments about her.
- Some magazines contain dirty pictures.
Learner examples
- He made a dirty joke.
- That movie has some dirty scenes.
- Don't say dirty words.
adjective
B2
property
3
Dishonest or unfair
Using bad or unfair ways to win or get something.
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is dirty
Synonyms
dishonest (General term for not telling the truth or cheating.)
Antonyms
fair (Acting honestly and according to rules.)
Collocations
dirty tricks
|dirty politics
|dirty game
Themes
law
|business
|sports
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The election campaign turned into a dirty fight.
- They used dirty tricks to win the contract.
- It's a dirty business full of corruption.
Learner examples
- He played a dirty game.
- The politician used dirty tricks.
- It was a dirty fight.
Verb
A2
action
4
Make something unclean
To make something not clean by putting dirt or something like it on it.
Usage pattern:
to dirty [something]
Synonyms
soil (Slightly more formal and less common in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
clean (To remove dirt or make something clean again.)
Collocations
dirty the carpet
|dirty your clothes
Themes
daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Don't dirty your shoes before the meeting.
- She dirtied the kitchen floor while cooking.
- The children dirtied their clothes playing outside.
Learner examples
- Don't dirty your hands.
- He dirtied his pants.
- She dirtied the floor.
Grammar
Dictionary form
dirty
IPA
GB/dˈɚti/
US/dˈɚti/
Syllables & stress
dirty (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (dirty)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: dirty
- Comparative: dirtier
- Superlative: dirtiest
Verb
- Base: dirty
- 3rd Person Singular: dirties
- Present Participle: dirtying
- Past: dirtied
Word family
Expressions
do someone’s dirty work
1/dˈu sˈʌmwˌʌnz dˈɚti wˈɚk/
idiom
Do unpleasant tasks for someone else
To do an unpleasant or bad job for another person so they don't have to do it themselves.
Examples
- She always gets her assistant to do her dirty work.
- He refused to do the boss’s dirty work anymore.
get your hands dirty
1/ɡˈɛt jˈʊɹ hˈændz dˈɚti/
idiom
informal
Do unpleasant practical work
To do hard, messy, or unpleasant work yourself instead of letting others do it.
Examples
- As a manager, he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty.
- Sometimes you have to get your hands dirty to get the job done.
play dirty
1/plˈeɪ dˈɚti/
idiom
informal
Act dishonestly to win
To use unfair or dishonest ways to win or get what you want.
Examples
- If you want to win against him, be prepared—he plays dirty.
- The company played dirty to beat its competitors.
dirty laundry
1/dˈɚti lˈɔndɹi/
idiom
informal
embarrassing or private secrets
Private or shameful things about a person or family that they don’t want other people to know.
Examples
- The book reveals a lot of the family’s dirty laundry.
- He didn’t want their dirty laundry discussed in public.
dirty laundry
2/dˈɚti lˈɔndɹi/
idiom
Private embarrassing matters
Personal problems that you do not want other people to know about.
Examples
- They aired their dirty laundry in public during the meeting.
- Don't wash your dirty laundry in public; keep family issues private.