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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dirty word
Some fear the trend away from DEI will accelerate now that Trump has turned it into a dirty word.
—
Angelique Jackson, Variety, 4 Mar. 2025
While diversity, equity and inclusion have become dirty words in Washington, D.C, that’s not true among local beer professionals.
—Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025
Only after the Cold War ended did a neoconservative foreign policy consensus come to dominate the American right—and diplomacy became a dirty word for Republicans.
—Dan Caldwell, Foreign Affairs, 13 Nov. 2024
Now, changing customer attitudes, regulatory action, and improvements by larger financial players have made tipping and junk fees dirty words.
—Jennifer Tescher, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dirty word
Angelique Jackson, Variety, 4 Mar. 2025
While diversity, equity and inclusion have become dirty words in Washington, D.C, that’s not true among local beer professionals.
—Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025
Only after the Cold War ended did a neoconservative foreign policy consensus come to dominate the American right—and diplomacy became a dirty word for Republicans.
—Dan Caldwell, Foreign Affairs, 13 Nov. 2024
Now, changing customer attitudes, regulatory action, and improvements by larger financial players have made tipping and junk fees dirty words.
—Jennifer Tescher, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dirty word
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dirty word
Noun
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The annual cost-of-living adjustment Social Security recipients receive is both a blessing and a curse.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2025
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Homewood’s location on the western shore of Lake Tahoe is both a blessing and a curse.—
Megan Michelson,
Outside Online,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Is this the kind of situation where mild swears seem generally used?—
Stacey Colino,
Time,
1 Apr. 2025
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Could a nice good swear on the pitch to express one’s anger stop a player from lashing out physically, channelling their anger through their vocal cords rather than their fists?—
Nick Miller,
The Athletic,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Pope Francis preached the same gospel in different language.—
John Hope Bryant,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
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Subtitles are easy to add to film, but, for the most part, they were used only when actors and audiences spoke different languages.—
David Owen,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dirty word.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dirty%20word. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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