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
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Recent Examples of dirty word
Even in Hollywood, A-listers like Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Alba, and Katy Perry are soft-launching their post-divorce boyfriends on Instagram and being cheered on for it, showing that maybe divorce—and the fact that a woman has a right to a full and happy life afterwards—is no longer a dirty word.
—
Jenna Ryu, SELF, 14 Nov. 2025
The all-or-nothing approach that has taken hold in Washington, which treats compromise as a dirty word, is the root cause of the dysfunction.
—The Detroit News Editorial Board, Twin Cities, 6 Nov. 2025
The man never, never, never says a dirty word.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2025
At the Abundance movement’s largest-ever gathering, with its manifesto still on the best-seller lists, its biggest champions wrestled openly with its status as a dirty word in US politics.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dirty word
Jenna Ryu, SELF, 14 Nov. 2025
The all-or-nothing approach that has taken hold in Washington, which treats compromise as a dirty word, is the root cause of the dysfunction.
—The Detroit News Editorial Board, Twin Cities, 6 Nov. 2025
The man never, never, never says a dirty word.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2025
At the Abundance movement’s largest-ever gathering, with its manifesto still on the best-seller lists, its biggest champions wrestled openly with its status as a dirty word in US politics.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dirty word
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dirty word
Noun
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Those declines are making Berkshire's more than $350 billion in cash look more like a blessing than a curse.—
Alex Crippen,
CNBC,
7 Feb. 2026
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Classical Amid all the constant wondering of when things will get better, the slow drip of time may feel like a curse.—
Brian Seibert,
New Yorker,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Under the watchful eye of sheriffs deputies who threatened to ticket anyone caught standing in the road, along with a small number of National Guard members, the protesters took turns screaming swears and warming up in nearby parked cars.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
28 Jan. 2026
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If accumulation is the issue, Giaquinto swears by the five-second and five-year rules.—
Avery Newmark,
AJC.com,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Despite speaking different languages, Toro Sepulveda and Henry became close friends, both said.—
Nuria Martinez-Keel,
Oklahoma Voice,
10 Feb. 2026
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The new program at Butler is one of just five Deaf education programs in the country with a focus on spoken language, according to the program’s website.—
Claire Rafford,
IndyStar,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dirty word.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dirty%20word. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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