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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dirty word
Too many in the media see conservatism as a dirty word.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
23 Feb. 2026
It’s viewed by Hollywood artists as a dirty word.
—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
Plastic is a dirty word here, and the resort has virtually banned it throughout.
—
Chris Schalkx,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 Jan. 2026
Regime change isn’t a dirty word when the regime is among the most vicious in the world.
—
Garry Kasparov,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dirty word
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
23 Feb. 2026
It’s viewed by Hollywood artists as a dirty word.
—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
Plastic is a dirty word here, and the resort has virtually banned it throughout.
—
Chris Schalkx,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 Jan. 2026
Regime change isn’t a dirty word when the regime is among the most vicious in the world.
—
Garry Kasparov,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dirty word
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dirty word
Noun
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Morgan and her Judgment Day cronies tried to bribe Danhausen to put curses on their opponents.
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The dust-ups might have driven the Honeywells away from their island paradise, more casualties of the lottery curse.
Noun
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Why fill with swears a show that might otherwise have been appointment viewing for the whole family?
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The event finds more than 20,000 people participating in an annual bar crawl throughout the city while dressed in their best holiday attire, tackiest Santa Claus costumes, and ugliest Christmas swears.
Noun
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Eight groups challenged the department’s definition in court, representing nurse practitioners, therapists, speech language pathologists and more.
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Keep language simple, confirm times, and leave extra room between commitments.
Cite this Entry
“Dirty word.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dirty%20word. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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