dirty word

Also found in: Thesaurus, Idioms, Wikipedia.

dirty word

1. An obscene or vulgar word.

2. A word, expression, or concept viewed as odious or intolerable: a feisty campaigner to whom "give up" was a dirty word.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

dirt′y word′

1. a vulgar or taboo word; obscenity.

2. any word, name, or concept considered loathsome or unmentionable: “Lose” is a dirty word to this team.

[1835–45]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	dirty word - an offensive or indecent word or phrase vulgarism, obscenity, smut, filth nookie, nooky, piece of tail, roll in the hay, screwing, screw - slang for sexual intercourse pecker, peter, putz, prick, tool, shaft - obscene terms for penis Irish bull, crap, bull - obscene words for unacceptable behavior; "I put up with a lot of bullshit from that jerk"; "what he said was mostly bull" bawdry, bawdy - lewd or obscene talk or writing; "it was smoking-room bawdry"; "they published a collection of Elizabethan bawdy" scatology - a preoccupation with obscenity (especially that dealing with excrement or excretory functions) profanity - vulgar or irreverent speech or action prick, SOB - insulting terms of address for people who are stupid or irritating or ridiculous peeing, pee - informal terms for urination; "he took a pee" Fanny Adams, sweet Fanny Adams - little or nothing at all; "I asked for a raise and they gave me bugger-all"; "I know sweet Fanny Adams about surgery" crap, turd, dirt - obscene terms for feces
	2.	dirty word - a word that is considered to be unmentionable; "`failure' is a dirty word to him" word - a unit of language that native speakers can identify; "words are the blocks from which sentences are made"; "he hardly said ten words all morning"

Translations

grossièreté juron

Mentioned in ?

References in periodicals archive ?

As public scrutiny increases, has 'diversity' become a dirty word in the tech industry?

DEBATE

The TV star, 51, says she is proud of her French heritage, adding: "Sex is not a dirty word for them."

Davina on 'gift of sex'

It's becoming a dirty word along with democracy, majority, fair elections and referendums.

When Brexit is just a dirty word

Continue reading "The Left's Favorite Dirty Word: Zionism" at...

The Left's Favorite Dirty Word

HYGIENE is a dirty word for 15% of male millennials, who admit they do not wash their hands after using the lavatory.

Mucky Millennials; Beware! 15% of 16 to 34-yr-old blokes admit to being lav rats

There's no such thing as a dirty word, just a dirty mind."

BANGERS & STRAMASH; Councillor causes outrage as he labels provost's trip to Germany an 'excuse for going on the lash and playing hide the frankfurter'

if you are of a certain age, then you are going to have lumps and bumps, and bits that look horrible." Denise Welch, former Coronation Street star "I am somewhat detached nowadays, but it does seem to me that the Tories have been mistaken in making a flurry of promises, many of them either expensive or unwise or both." Lord (Nigel) Lawson, former Tory chancellor "'Feminism' is not a dirty word - it's a great word.

TODAY'S QUOTES

The 28-year-old told Harper's Bazr magazine that it is indeed great that discussions are finally being allowed on feminism, as opposed to earlier when it had become a dirty word.

Keira Knightley says 'feminism has long way to go in Hollywood'

Makes 'detox' stop sounding like a dirty word, At leastinJanwecanbinthe rest of that bird.

Your Poem

BANKERS BBC2, 9pm BANKERS sounds like a dirty word these days, and no wonder.

WE LOVE DOCUMENTARY; With Jane TODAY'S TV Simon

"BBC's Mary Berry says feminism is a dirty word - she likes good manners.

They say

I always thought it was every human's right to kill yourself if you want to" Novelist Julian Barnes "Leaving the EU is no longer the politics that dare not speak its name" Ukip lead Nigel Farage "I think feminism is a dirty word" Mary Berry, star of the Great British Bake Off "There's a new clientele.