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Dirty for Dummies

adjective

pronunciation: 'dɜrti

What does Dirty really mean?

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Student: Hi teacher! Can you help me understand what the word "dirty" means? I've heard people use it in different ways, and I get confused. Teacher: Absolutely! I'd be happy to help you understand the meaning of "dirty." So, imagine you have a beautiful big glass window in your bedroom. It's clean and sparkly, allowing sunlight to brighten your room. But one day, your little brother comes in after playing outside. He has muddy hands and accidentally leaves smudges and dirt on the window. Now, what do you think happens to the window? Student: Hmm, I think the window becomes dirty. Teacher: Exactly! When something is dirty, it means there are unwanted substances, like dust, dirt, mud, or stains, on it. Just like our window example, when something is clean, it's free from these substances and looks nice and tidy. But when it becomes dirty, it loses its cleanliness, and that's when we use the word "dirty" to describe it. Student: Oh, that makes sense. But can "dirty" mean something else? Teacher: Great question! Yes, "dirty" can have another meaning. Imagine your mom cooks your favorite dish, spaghetti, with her secret homemade sauce. While she's preparing it, there's a chance some sauce accidentally splatters onto her nice clean apron. The apron, which was once spotless, now has red stains on it. How would you describe the apron? Student: I would say the apron is dirty too. Teacher: Wonderful! In this situation, "dirty" is used metaphorically to describe something other than physical substances. It's like saying the apron is no longer "clean" in a different sense because it has been stained or tarnished. So, when something is "dirty" figuratively, it means it has been morally tainted, polluted, or corrupted in some way. Student: I think I understand now. Whether it's physical dirt or something not clean in a different way, "dirty" means something that was once clean but now has unwanted substances or has been affected negatively. Teacher: That's spot on! You've got the hang of it. "Dirty" refers to a state of being unclean physically or metaphorically, suggesting an undesirable change from a previously clean or pure condition. Remember our examples – the window with dirt or the apron with sauce stains – they can help you remember the concept of "dirty." Student: Thank you, teacher! Your explanations really helped me understand what "dirty" means.


Revised and Fact checked by William Taylor on 2023-10-30 08:17:35

Dirty In a sentece

Learn how to use Dirty inside a sentece

  • After playing outside in the mud, your clothes might get dirty.
  • If you spill juice on the table, it will leave a dirty mark.
  • When you cook, sometimes the dishes get dirty and need to be washed.
  • If you don't clean your room for a long time, it can become very dirty.
  • If you step on a muddy puddle, your shoes will get dirty.

Dirty Synonyms

Words that can be interchanged for the original word in the same context.

begrime begrime bemire bemire cheating cheating colly colly contaminating contaminating dingy dingy filthy filthy foul foul foul foul grime grime ill-gotten ill-gotten lousy lousy marked-up marked-up muddied muddied muddy muddy pestiferous pestiferous shoddy shoddy soil soil soiled soiled sordid sordid unclean unclean unsporting unsporting unsportsmanlike unsportsmanlike

Dirty Antonyms

Words that have the opposite context of the original word.

clean clean clean clean clean clean clean clean

Dirty Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.

alter alter change change modify modify

Dirty Hyponyms

Words that are more specific than the original word.

blemish blemish contaminate contaminate crock crock foul foul mire mire muck muck muck up muck up mud mud muddy muddy muddy up muddy up pollute pollute slime slime smear smear splash splash spot spot

Dirty Similar Words

Words that similar to the original word, but are not synonyms.

augean augean awful awful bawdy bawdy bedraggled bedraggled befouled befouled begrimed begrimed black black blasphemous blasphemous blue blue buggy buggy cobwebby cobwebby corrupt corrupt cruddy cruddy dingy dingy dirty-faced dirty-faced dirty-minded dirty-minded draggled draggled feculent feculent filthy filthy filthy filthy flyblown flyblown foul foul foul foul foul-mouthed foul-mouthed foul-spoken foul-spoken fouled fouled greasy greasy grimy grimy grubby grubby grungy grungy hostile hostile illegal illegal illegible illegible impure impure infected infected lewd lewd lousy lousy maculate maculate mucky mucky muddy muddy nasty nasty nasty nasty nasty nasty obscene obscene off-color off-color oily oily profane profane ratty ratty raunchy raunchy raunchy raunchy ribald ribald salacious salacious scabrous scabrous scatological scatological scummy scummy septic septic smudgy smudgy smutty smutty smutty smutty snot-nosed snot-nosed snotty snotty sooty sooty sordid sordid squalid squalid stormy stormy travel-soiled travel-soiled travel-stained travel-stained uncleanly uncleanly unfair unfair unjust unjust unswept unswept unwashed unwashed