Phrase guide

dirty word

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈdɜːtiˌwɜːd/
  • US: /ˈdɚɾijˌwɝd/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A word that is considered vulgar, not necessarily sexual in nature.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The child was made to sit in the corner as punishment for saying a dirty word.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The name of a topic that a person prefers not to hear or discuss.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • Job is a dirty word to him.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a word that is considered to be unmentionable

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • `failure' is a dirty word to him

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: word

4

noun

Meaning 4

an offensive or indecent word or phrase

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: obscenity, smut, vulgarism, filth

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: profanity

Narrower terms: bawdry, bawdy, scatology

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

17 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: kirosana — word that is considered vulgar
  • Finnish: ruma sana — word that is considered vulgar
  • French: gros mot — word that is considered vulgar
  • German: Schimpfwort — word that is considered vulgar
  • Polish: brzydkie słowo — word that is considered vulgar
  • Portuguese: palavrão — word that is considered vulgar
  • Russian: руга́тельное сло́во (rugátelʹnoje slóvo) — word that is considered vulgar
  • Russian: руга́тельство (rugátelʹstvo) — word that is considered vulgar
  • Russian: неприли́чное сло́во (neprilíčnoje slóvo) — word that is considered vulgar
  • Russian: бра́нное сло́во (bránnoje slóvo) — word that is considered vulgar
  • Swedish: fult ord — word that is considered vulgar
  • Swedish: runt ord — word that is considered vulgar
  • Swedish: snuskigt ord — word that is considered vulgar
  • Swedish: icke rumsrent ord — word that is considered vulgar
  • Turkish: kötü söz — word that is considered vulgar
  • Finnish: kirosana — a topic that a person does not like
  • Swedish: fult ord — a topic that a person does not like