as in curse
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression
I'm afraid I won't be much help on the trip—the only Spanish I know is a handful of dirty words
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dirty word
Still, governance in the Boehner era was not a dirty word, and the vast majority of new Republican members were receptive to it.
—
Robert Draper, New York Times, 30 May 2024
Patriotism, a dirty word among Russian liberals only a few years before, was making a comeback, accompanied by various hues of Russian nationalism.
—Dmitri Trenin, Foreign Affairs, 25 Dec. 2016
Employment arbitration has become a dirty word on Capitol Hill.
—Lewis L. Maltby, Fortune, 9 May 2024
Tess Owen: Look after January 6, there was a sense among the anti-government movement that militia was like a dirty word.
—Leah Feiger, WIRED, 2 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for dirty word 
Robert Draper, New York Times, 30 May 2024
Patriotism, a dirty word among Russian liberals only a few years before, was making a comeback, accompanied by various hues of Russian nationalism.
—Dmitri Trenin, Foreign Affairs, 25 Dec. 2016
Employment arbitration has become a dirty word on Capitol Hill.
—Lewis L. Maltby, Fortune, 9 May 2024
Tess Owen: Look after January 6, there was a sense among the anti-government movement that militia was like a dirty word.
—Leah Feiger, WIRED, 2 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for dirty word
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dirty word
Noun
-
Regardless of whether one sees it as a triumph or a curse, there is no reason to expect that low fertility will be reversed in any major way.Vegard Skirbekk, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2024
-
Just one episode after breaking her family’s curse, Alice lies dead on the ground, and the witches—and especially Teen—are not happy.Erik Kain, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
There’s a heavy focus on Asia’s first One&Only spa, featuring a green caviar body exfoliation and an Augustinus Bader facial celebs swear by.Katie Lockhart, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2024
-
Biggest takeaways from 'Hard Knocks' with Bears: An HBO show with no swears?Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2024
Noun
-
The language barrier has always been the catalyst for most problems when working with someone who speaks a foreign language.Expert Panel®, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
-
The platform launches with a slate spanning 12+ languages and 10+ genres, featuring everything from video-on-demand content to free gaming, radio streaming, and 65 live channels.Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near dirty word
Cite this Entry
“Dirty word.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dirty%20word. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share