Dirty Meaning
/ˈdɜːti/Definition, CEFR level A1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjUnclean; covered with or containing unpleasant substances such as dirt or grime.
adjThat makes one unclean; corrupting, infecting.
Sentence Examples
He exclaimed, "What a dirty face you have!"
Please clean the dirty floor.
I saw a dirty dog coming into the garden.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The mechanic wiped his ____ hands on an oily rag.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
After playing outside all day, the kids had ____ hands and faces from touching the muddy ground.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English dirti, alteration of earlier dritti, equivalent to dirt + -y. Cognate with Middle Low German drēterich (“dirty”). See also drite.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Many persons are more comfortable when they are dirty than when they are clean; but that does not recommend dirt as a national policy."
— 1905, George Bernard Shaw, The author's apology from Mrs. Warren's Profession, page 61:
"He sets up little cameras 'cause he likes to watch her pee / He likes to watch her pee, he's trembling with glee / He sets up little cameras 'cause he likes to watch her pee / What a dirty little bastard he can be"
— 2016 June 3, “Mr. Wright”, in Monolith of Phobos, performed by The Claypool Lennon Delirium:
"We have quite a playful and fun relationship in general, but it’s still surprising how dirty our sex can be in the things we say or do or pretend. We often laugh about it afterwards."
— 2023 May 13, Kitty Drake, “This is how we do it: ‘A tired, throwaway midweek shag doesn’t interest me’”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
"The world 'as got me snouted jist a treat; Crool Forchin's dirty left 'as smote me soul."
— 1915, C.J. Dennis, The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke, published 1916, page 13:
"The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable.[…]Partly, this is a result of how online advertising has traditionally worked: advertisers pay for clicks, and a click is a click, however it's obtained."
— 2013 June 21, Oliver Burkeman, “The tao of tech”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 2, page 27:
Explore More A1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The mechanic wiped his ____ hands on an oily rag.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
After playing outside all day, the kids had ____ hands and faces from touching the muddy ground.