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dirty

dirty

27 2.1
A dull shade mixed with grey or brown
  • adjective
  • /ˈdɜrti/
translation icon : sucio
  • A teenager in a dirty denim jacket lounged against one of the pillars.
  • dirty gray
  • dirty dark gray

And lastly, a very dirty grey colour called Smoke.

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Examples

  • The walls of the Indochine had all been painted a dirty yellow, shiny, so they always looked wet.

    Academic text (2007)
  • And just with the first pass, you can see just how dirty this painting is.

  • Looking out a dirty, old window

  • The car was white, the color of dirty snow in March.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • And you can see just in this one small area how dirty this painting is.

  • Kind of like a dirty blonde kind of color.

  • Adds Graves: "Because it's a dirty environment, it's important to keep it simple."

    Academic text (2000)
  • The air had turned the color of dirty snow, the low-hanging clouds erecting a bunker around the sun.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Dark-curtained windows block the sunlight; a dirty fish tank casts a green glow across the beat-up furniture.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • The artist chose a dirty green for the background to give it a muted effect.

Synonyms

dingy
vsdirty
23 4.6

Dark and dirty so it does not look bright

is restricted to color change from impurities not general unclean appearance
muddy
vsdirty
11 2.7

A dull, unclear color that looks mixed and lifeless

is used especially when the hue is mixed with gray or brown
washed-out
vsdirty
4 4.4

A color or object that has lost brightness and looks pale

focuses on dulling caused by impurity mixing rather than general fading
mousy
vsdirty
1 4.8

A dull pale brown color like light brown hair

is about colors dulled by impurities across many tones not only brown
discolored
vsdirty
  • US
1 3.5

A thing that has lost its color, often with stains

is more specific to hues mixed with gray or brown
stained
vsdirty
1 2.6

Marked or colored by something that is hard to remove

describes an overall hue dulled by impurity mixing rather than local marks
muddied
vsdirty
5.0

A color made less bright because it has dirt or other colors mixed in

is about hues dulled by impurities toward gray or brown
washy
vsdirty
8.0

Faded or pale in color, not bright

is about loss of brightness due to impurity or mixed dull tones

Antonyms

390 1.0

Has nothing mixed with it

235 1.0

Having a strong, vivid color that is easy to notice

Idioms

1 9.9

Leave a place very quickly

8.4

To talk about private or embarrassing family matters in public

8.6

To talk about private, embarrassing problems in public

9.5

Very quickly and suddenly without waiting or thinking

To talk about private, embarrassing things in front of other people

Compounds

dirty work
  • Informal
65 4.6

Unpleasant or shameful tasks that other people avoid

dirty laundry
  • Informal
22 5.3

Personal secrets that could cause embarrassment if made public

dirty word
  • NSFW
18 7.1

A word people think is rude or not polite

12 6.0

Secret dishonest actions that harm or make someone look bad, often in politics and business

12 4.3

Money that someone gets through illegal or dishonest actions

11 4.9

An unfair action meant to harm or cheat someone

dirty bomb
  • NSFW
10 7.7

A weapon that explodes and spreads radioactive material to contaminate an area, not a nuclear bomb

10 2.8

A look that shows dislike or anger

dirty joke
  • Offensive
8 7.2

A joke that talks about sex or private parts in a rude way

dirty old man
  • Offensive
8 8.4

An older man who makes sexual comments or touches younger people when they do not want him to

5 6.7

A tough cop in Clint Eastwood films and a nickname for similar officers

dirty war
  • Offensive
2 9.2

A secret campaign by a government against suspected opponents using kidnapping, torture, and murder

dirty dog
  • Offensive
2 8.0

A person who behaves badly or cheats others

dirty pool
  • Informal
2 8.2

Unfair or dishonest behavior in a competition

dirty weekend
  • Offensive
1 8.8

A weekend away by a couple for private sexual or romantic activities

1 4.1

Having a face covered in dirt

dirty story
  • Offensive
1 8.1

A joke or story about sex that people find rude

dirty thoughts
  • Offensive
1 7.2

Thoughts about sex that people think are improper or embarrassing

dirty linen
  • Informal
1 7.9

Private family or personal matters that embarrass people if the public finds out

8.9

A short secret trip for a romantic or sexual meeting, often an affair

dirty code
  • Jargon
7.2

Computer code that is badly written and hard to read or fix

6.6

A quick temporary solution made without care for small details

How Bright

vivid
23 3.0
bright
235 1.0
muted
10 4.2
dull
31 1.0
dirty
27 2.1
muddy
11 2.7

Surface Forms

dirty positive
dirtier comparative
dirtiest superlative

Morphology

dirty = dirt (transparent) = dirt + y

Color described as 'dirty' (dull or discolored) is a straightforward literal extension of being mixed with dirt or impurities.

Etymology

Dirty used for a color means it is not bright or clear because it looks mixed with 'dirt' or gray. A 'dirty' white or green is a dull, not-pure shade.