dirty
/ˈdɜːti/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdɜːrti/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdər-tē/ (ame, mw) · /ˈdɜː.ti/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdɝː.t̬i/ (ame, ipa)
dirty — adjective
- dirtypositive
- dirtiercomparative
- dirtiestsuperlative
1. having a surface covered with unwanted matter like earth, soot, or leftover food
having a surface covered with unwanted matter like earth, soot, or leftover food; also describes environments where the air or water contains harmful particles or bacteria.
Gabriel's white shirt got dirty when he fell off his bicycle on the muddy path.
collocation: get dirty + cause
Ada had to scrub the kitchen floor twice because it was so dirty with grease and crumbs.
dirty with [substance]
After the storm, the river turned brown and looked dirty because of all the soil washed into it.
The air in the old warehouse was dirty with smoke and tiny metal dust from broken machines.
Noor refused to put on the dirty socks that had been lying under her bed all week.
用法筆記
Common with the preposition 'with' to name the substance causing the dirt. Can describe both objects (clothes, floors) and natural elements (air, water).
常見錯誤
2. involving behaviour that is morally wrong, breaks accepted rules, or treats othe
involving behaviour that is morally wrong, breaks accepted rules, or treats others badly in order to gain an advantage.
Camille received a red card for a dirty tackle that hurt her opponent on purpose.
dirty tackle (sports)
Adisa discovered that his business partner had been making dirty deals behind his back.
dirty deals (business)
Some companies use dirty tricks to avoid paying taxes by hiding their money offshore.
It was a dirty move to steal credit for the project that Indra had worked on alone.
Jin felt sick after losing the election because of all the dirty rumours spread about him.
用法筆記
Common in sports (dirty tackle, dirty play), business (dirty deal), and politics (dirty campaign). Frequently used in fixed noun phrases like 'dirty trick' and 'dirty work'.
常見錯誤
3. describing sexual content that is intended to cause shock, embarrassment, or off
describing sexual content that is intended to cause shock, embarrassment, or offence among those who hear or see it, especially in speech, humour, or pictures.
The manager was fired for telling dirty jokes that made several colleagues feel uncomfortable.
dirty jokes
Anjali reported her co-worker to HR for sending dirty messages on the office chat system.
The TV network removed the show because it contained dirty language unsuitable for young viewers.
Lisa warned her friend not to repeat such dirty stories during the family dinner party.
用法筆記
Strongly negative register. Avoid using in formal, professional, or polite company. Often appears in complaints, ratings warnings, or descriptions of banned content.
4. describes food that is very tasty but contains large amounts of fat, salt, or su
describes food that is very tasty but contains large amounts of fat, salt, or sugar, making it an unhealthy choice — often associated with extra toppings like cheese, sauce, or bacon.
After exams Christopher treated himself to a dirty burger piled high with melted cheese and bacon.
dirty burger (collocation)
Nila knew the pizza was dirty with extra pepperoni and cheese, but she ordered it anyway.
dirty with [topping]
The menu offered dirty loaded fries topped with sour cream, cheese sauce, and chopped spring onions.
Camila craved something dirty for dinner, so she ordered a fried chicken sandwich with creamy sauce.
用法筆記
Informal food culture term common in blog posts, menus, and casual reviews. Often pairs with specific dish names (dirty burger, dirty fries, dirty pizza). Never used in formal nutritional or medical contexts.
5. describes a colour that has lost its original brightness or clarity, often appea
describes a colour that has lost its original brightness or clarity, often appearing faded, cloudy, or mixed with grey or brown.
The old living-room curtains had faded to a dirty grey that did not match the walls anymore.
dirty grey (colour compound)
Adisa painted over the dirty yellow walls because the colour made the kitchen feel dark and cramped.
The white paint on the garden bench turned a dirty brown after years of rain and mud.
Jin chose a clean bright blue for the bedroom instead of the dirty green that was there before.
用法筆記
Almost always combined with a colour name (dirty white, dirty grey, dirty yellow) to describe a shade that contains a hint of another colour or lacks purity. Not used alone.
dirty — adverb
1. used before the adjectives 'great' or 'big' to add emphasis, meaning extremely l
used before the adjectives 'great' or 'big' to add emphasis, meaning extremely large in size or degree.
Gabriel pulled a dirty great suitcase out of the boot of his car at the airport.
dirty great + noun (British informal)
A dirty big hole appeared in the middle of the road after the pipe burst underground.
Darius spotted a dirty big spider crawling across the bathroom wall and screamed for his brother.
Mauricio had to climb over a dirty great pile of rocks that was blocking the mountain trail.
文法句型
dirty + great + noun
dirty + big + noun
用法筆記
Chiefly British informal. Only usable before the adjectives 'great', 'big', or 'great big' to emphasise size. Never used in formal writing or American English. Not productive with other adjectives.
dirty — verb
- dirtypresent simple I / you / we / they
- dirties3rd person singular
- dirtying-ing form
- dirtiedpast simple
1. to add unwanted matter like earth, soot, or colouring to the surface of an objec
to add unwanted matter like earth, soot, or colouring to the surface of an object, making it no longer clean.
Noor dirtied her new white trainers while walking home through the muddy park.
dirty + clothing
Please take off your shoes at the door so you do not dirty the clean kitchen floor.
imperative: do not dirty [surface]
The smoke from the old factory had dirtied the white curtains in every nearby house.
Gabriel dirtied his favourite shirt while fixing the old car engine in the garage.
文法句型
dirty + noun phrase
用法筆記
Typically transitive — requires a direct object. Common objects include body parts (hands), clothing, and surfaces. The intransitive use ('The shirt dirties easily') is rare in modern English; 'gets dirty' is preferred.