/ ˈdɜːti; NAmE ˈdɜːrti/ adjective , verb , adverb
■ adjective
( dirt·ier , dirti·est )
NOT CLEAN
1.
not clean :
dirty hands / clothes
a dirty mark
Try not to get too dirty!
I always get given the dirty jobs (= jobs that make you become dirty) .
OFFENSIVE
2.
[ usually before noun ] connected with sex in an offensive way :
a dirty joke / book
He's got a dirty mind (= he often thinks about sex) .
UNPLEASANT / DISHONEST
3.
[ usually before noun ] unpleasant or dishonest :
a dirty lie
She's a dirty player.
He's a great man for doing the dirty jobs (= jobs which are unpleasant because they involve being dishonest or mean to people) .
COLOURS
4.
[ only before noun ] dull :
a dirty brown carpet
DRUGS
5.
( NAmE , slang ) using illegal drugs
•
IDIOMS
- be a dirty word
- (do sb's) dirty work
- do the dirty on sb
- give sb a dirty look
—more at hand noun , wash verb
■ verb
( dirt·ies , dirty·ing , dirt·ied , dirt·ied ) [ vn ] to make sth dirty
■ adverb
•
IDIOMS
- dirty great / big
- play dirty
—more at talk verb
••
SYNONYMS
dirty
dusty ♦ filthy ♦ soiled ♦ grubby
These words all describe sb/sth that is not clean.
dirty
not clean; covered with dust, soil, mud, oil, etc.:
If your hands are dirty, go and wash them.
dusty
full of dust; covered with dust:
There were shelves full of dusty books.
filthy
very dirty and unpleasant:
It's absolutely filthy in here.
soiled
( rather formal ) dirty, especially with waste from the body:
soiled nappies / diapers
grubby
( rather informal ) rather dirty, usually because it has not been washed:
He hoped she wouldn't notice his grubby shirt cuffs.
PATTERNS AND COLLOCATIONS :
dirty / dusty / filthy / soiled / grubby clothes
dirty / dusty / filthy / grubby hands
a dirty / dusty / filthy room
dirty dishes
to be / look dirty / dusty / filthy / soiled / grubby
to get dirty / dusty / filthy / soiled / grubby
rather dirty / dusty / filthy / grubby
very / extremely dirty / dusty / grubby