dirty trick
11
4.9
- noun
- /ˈdɜrti trɪk/
:
jugada sucia
- He used a dirty trick to win the game unfairly.
- played a dirty trick
- pull such a dirty trick
- kind of a dirty trick
Oh yes, they trapped him into lying using that old dirty trick asking him to be truthful.
- Oh yes, they trapped him into lying using that old dirty trick asking him to be truthful.
Examples
-
I've always thought that was a rather dirty trick.
Blog text (23) -
What a dirty trick.
Fiction book (2001) -
l guess l played a dirty trick on you, huh?
-
I just hate to do a dirty trick like this.
-
That was a dirty trick.
-
This is a dirty trick.
-
"My poor friend," the monk said, "your favor has played a dirty trick on you!"
Blog text (22) -
Don't play a dirty trick on me.
-
It was a dirty trick.
-
That's a dirty trick!
Synonyms
187
2.1
An act of tricking someone to get an unfair advantage
163
3.9
An action that makes someone believe something not true
66
4.6
Dishonest action meant to trick someone
53
7.7
A clever trick to deceive someone
27
4.9
To use dishonest ways to cheat people
18
9.3
A trick used to cheat people, often to get their money
15
2.8
An act of dishonesty that gives someone an unfair advantage
12
6.0
Secret dishonest actions that harm or make someone look bad, often in politics and business
12
8.2
A clever trick used to cheat someone
11
8.1
A clever trick that deceives people or hides the truth
8
9.3
Tricks people use to deceive others to get money or advantage
8
8.6
Secret or dishonest actions that try to cheat people
1
5.4
An action that hurts or deceives someone on purpose
1
9.8
Secret dishonest actions to get an unfair advantage
1
9.5
A dishonest trick someone uses to get an advantage
Dishonest actions that try to trick people
Tricky or dishonest actions used to confuse people and gain advantage
How Dishonest
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'dirty' (dishonest/unfair) modifies 'trick' (a deceitful act), so a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer an unfair or dishonest deceit. The adjectival use of 'dirty' to mean unethical is common cross-linguistically, making this phrase transparent to learners.
Etymology
Dirty trick comes from the image of a dirty (shameful) trick — like a prank covered in mud that feels unfair and nasty, not clean or honest. That's why it means 'an action meant to harm or cheat someone'.