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Glite Dictionary
dirty look

dirty look

10 2.8
A look that shows dislike or anger
  • noun
  • /ˈdɜrti lʊk/
translation icon : mirada de desaprobación
  • He received a dirty look from the teacher for talking in class.
  • gives a dirty look

She gave me the dirtiest look I've ever gotten in my life.

Examples

  • After their argument, she gave him a dirty look before walking away.

  • Everyone noticed when she shot him a dirty look during the meeting.

  • But yeah, we got some dirty looks from our kids, so we have to.

  • And then you gave me a dirty look.

    Scarlet Street (1945)

  • The King gave his wife a dirty look, but decided to remain silent.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Some girls at my school give me dirty looks now that they know I'm gay.

    Blog text (27)

  • That nun just gave me a dirty look.

    The Life Before Her Eyes (2007)

  • She's always giving me those dirty looks.

    Dick Figures: The Movie (2013)

  • I answer honestly, the judge gives me a dirty look, and I am excused.

    Blog text (27)

  • Betty shoots him a dirty look, then stops to take in the house and its surroundings.

    Fiction book (1995)

Synonyms

scowl
vsdirty look
15 3.9

An angry look that shows you do not like something

is aimed directly at a person rather than a general expression
death stare
vsdirty look
2 7.4

A fierce look that shows anger or dislike

is milder and nonthreatening in ordinary disapproval
cold stare
vsdirty look
2 4.6

A fixed unfriendly look that shows anger or disapproval

is usually briefer and more personal than a fixed unfriendly gaze
stern look
vsdirty look
2 3.1

A serious face that shows someone is unhappy or strict

is more emotional than a formal strict expression
frosty glance
vsdirty look
6.6

A cold unfriendly look someone gives to show dislike

is more direct and personal than a cold distant attitude
disapproving frown
vsdirty look
4.0

A look with eyebrows pulled together and lips pressed to show disapproval

is a broader facial sign without specific muscle tension

Antonyms

friendly
773 1.0

Kind and helpful toward other people

How Disapproving

glare
18 3.9
dirty look
10 2.8
stern look
2 3.1
side-look
5.5
glance
222 1.4

Surface Forms

dirty look singular
dirty looks plural

Morphology

dirty + look

The adjective 'dirty' is used metaphorically to qualify 'look' as unpleasant or hostile, and a learner who knows 'dirty' (negative/unpleasant) and 'look' (facial expression) can reasonably infer a negative or disapproving glance. However, the precise sense ('disapproval, dislike, or anger') is a conventionalized metaphorical use of 'dirty' rather than a literal composition, so the relation is only partly predictable without prior exposure.

Etymology

Dirty look may come from a simple image: someone looks at you as if you are physically dirty, and their stare feels like someone throwing dirt at you. That's why dirty look means 'a look of disapproval or anger'.