26984 words

dirty

14 definitions • 26 examples
1
marked with dirt, mud, etc., or containing something such as pollution or bacteria:

Examples:

Her face was dirty and tear-stained.
Don't drink the water—it's dirty.
Dirty needles can cause serious infections.
2

Examples:

dirty trick She played a dirty trick on me by telling me Diane was having a party when she wasn't.
That's a dirty lie!
3
used to describe something that is connected with sex, in a way that many people think is offensive:

Examples:

dirty joke It's not a good idea to tell dirty jokes in the office.
dirty magazine She found some dirty magazines under his bed.
dirty movie Has he been corrupted by watching all these dirty movies?
dirty mind You have a really dirty mind!
4
used to refer to food that tastes good but is unhealthy, usually because it has a lot of things put on top of it that are high in fat, such as cheese or sauces:

Examples:

They do a really good dirty burger stacked high with bacon, fried onions, and cheese.
This dirty fries recipe (chips topped with bacon, onions, peppers, chilli sauce and lots of cheese) will have you licking your lips.
This dirty mac 'n' cheese comes with an extra creamy sauce.
5
very great/big:

Examples:

The old power station's nothing but a dirty great blot on the landscape.
6
to make something dirty:

Examples:

Don't sit on the floor - you might dirty your dress.
7
having esp. dirt on the surface of something:

Examples:

He left his dirty towels on the bathroom floor.
8

Examples:

That was a dirty trick – telling me you were out of town when you were right here all the time!
9
Dirty is also used to emphasize how strongly you feel that something is wrong or bad:

Examples:

That’s a dirty lie!
10
to allow something to get dirt on it:

Examples:

Don’t sit on the ground – you’ll dirty your new suit.
11

Examples:

The rival company's dirty tricks campaign had cost it many millions of pounds.
a dirty campaign/business
12

Examples:

dirty air
dirty coal plants
13
to do something unpleasant or difficult for someone because they do not want to do it themselves:

Examples:

The building societies have done the chancellor's dirty work for him, by cutting the cost of a mortgage in anticipation of a base rate cut.
14
produced quickly and without spending much money:

Examples:

Developers make quick and dirty versions of the final product so that the client can interact with it and provide feedback.

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