dirty

dirty

I. dirt‧y¹ S2 W3 /ˈdɜːti $ ˈdɜːr-/ BrE AmE adjective (comparative dirtier, superlative dirtiest)

1. NOT CLEAN covered in or marked by an unwanted substance OPP clean:
a stack of dirty dishes in the sink
How did you get so dirty?
dirty clothes/washing/laundry
She circled the bedroom, picking up dirty clothes.
2. SEX relating to sex, in a way that is considered immoral or unpleasant:
kids telling dirty jokes
a dirty magazine
She looked at me as if I had said a dirty word.
have a dirty mind British English (=think about sex a lot)
dirty weekend British English (=a weekend when a man and woman who are not married to each other go away to have sex)
3. BAD/IMMORAL used to emphasize that you think someone or something is bad, dishonest, or immoral:
You’re a dirty liar!
a dirty fighter
you and your dirty little deals
do the dirty on somebody British English (=treat someone in a way that is unfair or dishonest)
What a dirty trick!
4. something is a dirty word if something is a dirty word, people believe it is a bad thing even if they do not know or think much about it SYN swear word:
‘Liberal’ has somehow become a dirty word in America.
5. give somebody a dirty look to look at someone in a very disapproving way:
Susan gave her brother a dirty look.
6. dirty trick a dishonest or unfair action, especially done by a government, company, or organization:
political dirty tricks
7. wash your dirty linen/laundry (also air your dirty laundry American English) to discuss something embarrassing or bad about yourself where everyone can see, know, or hear:
The divorce has meant airing their dirty laundry in court.
8. do sb’s dirty work to do an unpleasant or dishonest action for someone, so that they do not have to do it themselves:
I’m not talking to him; you do your own dirty work!
9. it’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it used to say that something is unpleasant to do, but that it is necessary – often used humorously
10. DRUGS American English informal containing or possessing illegal drugs
11. dirty bomb a bomb that contains a ↑radioactive substance which makes the bomb more dangerous than bombs containing only traditional explosives
12. SPORT a dirty sports event is one in which people competing in the event have illegally used drugs to improve their performance:
Many people think that the race has been a dirty event for years.
—dirtily adverb
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ dirty not clean: His clothes were untidy and he had dirty hands.
▪ filthy very dirty: Each year filthy water causes millions of cases of illness.
▪ muddy covered with mud: It had been raining hard and the path was muddy.
▪ dusty covered with dust: the dusty shelves in the attic
▪ greasy covered with oil or grease: Greasy food is bad for your health.
▪ grubby (also mucky British English) informal fairly dirty and needing to be cleaned or washed: He was wearing a grubby white T-shirt. | mucky fingers
▪ grimy covered with thick dirt or dirt that has been there a long time: I couldn’t see much out of the grimy windows of the train.
▪ dingy /ˈdɪndʒi/ looking dark, dirty, and unpleasant. Used about rooms, houses, and buildings: We worked in a dingy little office behind the station.
▪ polluted used about land, water, or air that has been made dirty: 85% of city dwellers breathe heavily polluted air.
▪ contaminated made dirty by a dangerous substance or bacteria: The virus is mainly spread through contaminated food.
▪ squalid /ˈskwɒləd, ˈskwɒlɪd $ ˈskwɑː-/ formal extremely dirty and unpleasant. Used about the place or conditions in which someone lives: People are living in squalid conditions, with little water and no sanitation.
▪ unhygienic /ʌnhaɪˈdʒiːnɪk◂ $ -ˈdʒe-, -ˈdʒiː-/ formal used about dirty conditions that are likely to cause disease, especially conditions in kitchens, restaurants, and hospitals: The food was prepared under unhygienic conditions.
▪ unsanitary (also insanitary British English) formal used about dirty conditions that are likely to cause disease, especially because there is not a good system for getting rid of waste: People’s health is being threatened by overcrowded and insanitary homes. | They work for long hours in unsanitary conditions.
▪ soiled formal made dirty, especially by waste from your body: Soiled nappies should be changed as quickly as possible.