dirty work

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

dirt′y work′, 

1. disagreeable, often tedious tasks.
2. any illegal or dishonest dealing.

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

dirt•y /ˈdɜrti/   adj., -i•er, -i•est, v., -ied, -y•ing, adv. 
adj. 

1. soiled with dirt:
   had to wash his dirty hands.
2. spreading dirt; soiling:
   dirty smoke.
3. vile;
   mean;
   deserving contempt:
   a dirty scoundrel.
4. obscene;
   pornographic;
   lewd:
   a dirty joke; dirty pictures.
5. undesirable or unpleasant;
   disagreeable:
   You left the dirty work for me.
6. very unfortunate or regrettable:
   a dirty shame!
7. not fair or sportsmanlike;
   dishonest;
   dishonorable:
   a dirty fighter.
8. hostile or resentful:
   to give someone a dirty look.
9. Military not bright or clear;
   somewhat dull:
   dirty blond hair.
10. Informal Terms received through illegal means:
    dirty money from organized crime.

v. 

11. to make or become dirty: [~ + object]
    Try not to dirty your new white shoes.
    [no object]
    Those white socks dirty easily.

adv. 

12. Informal Terms in a mean or underhand way:
    The other high school football team played dirty.
13. [Informal.] in a lewd manner:
    to talk dirty.

dirt•i•ly /ˈdɜrtəli/  adv. 
dirt•i•ness, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

dirt•y  (dûr′tē), adj., dirt•i•er, dirt•i•est, v., dirt•ied, dirt•y•ing, adv. 
adj. 

1. soiled with dirt;
   foul;
   unclean:
   dirty laundry.
2. spreading or imparting dirt;
   soiling:
   dirty smoke.
3. vile;
   mean;
   sordid;
   contemptible:
   to play a dirty trick on someone.
4. obscene;
   pornographic;
   lewd:
   a dirty joke.
5. undesirable or unpleasant;
   thankless:
   He left the dirty work for me.
6. very unfortunate or regrettable:
   That's a dirty shame!
7. not fair or sportsmanlike;
   unscrupulous:
   a dirty fighter.
8. hostile, insulting, contemptuous, or resentful:
   She gave me a dirty look. He made a dirty crack about the cooking.
9. Military (of a nuclear weapon) producing a relatively large amount of radioactive fallout.
10. (of the weather) stormy;
    squally:
    It looks dirty to windward.
11. Informal Terms obtained through illegal or disreputable means:
    dirty money.
12. appearing as if soiled;
    dark-colored;
    dingy;
    murky.
13. Slang Terms using or in possession of narcotics.
14. Banking, Business [Foreign Exchange.] (of currency floats) manipulated, as by a central bank influencing or changing exchange rates (opposed to clean).
15. Idioms do (someone) dirty, [Slang.] to treat unfairly or reprehensibly, as by cheating or slandering.

v.t., v.i. 

16. to make or become dirty.

adv. 

17. Informal Terms in a mean, unscrupulous, or underhand way:
    to play dirty.
18. [Informal.] in a lewd manner:
    to talk dirty.

• dirt + -y¹ 1520–30

dirt′i•ly, adv. 
dirt′i•ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. grimy, defiled.
  Dirty, filthy, foul, squalid refer to that which is not clean.
  Dirty is applied to that which is filled or covered with dirt so that it is unclean or defiled:
  dirty clothes.
  Filthy is an emphatic word suggesting something that is excessively soiled or dirty:
  filthy streets.
  Both dirty and filthy can refer to obscenity:
  a dirty mind, a filthy novel.
  Foul implies an uncleanness that is grossly offensive to the senses:
  a foul odor.
  Squalid, applied usually to dwellings or surroundings, implies dirtiness that results from the slovenly indifference often associated with poverty:
  a squalid tenement.
• 3. base, vulgar, low, shabby, groveling.
• 4. nasty, lascivious, lecherous.
• 10. rainy, foul, sloppy, disagreeable, nasty.
• 12. dull, dark, sullied, clouded.
• 16. soil, befoul, sully.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

dirty / ˈdɜːtɪ/ adjective (dirtier, dirtiest)

1. covered or marked with dirt; filthy
2. obscene; salacious: dirty books
3. sexually clandestine: a dirty weekend
4. causing one to become grimy: a dirty job
5. (of a colour) not clear and bright; impure
6. unfair; dishonest; unscrupulous; unsporting
7. mean; nasty: a dirty cheat
8. scandalous; unkind
9. revealing dislike or anger
10. (of weather) rainy or squally; stormy
11. (of an industrial process, energy source, etc) causing harm to the environment
    Compare clean6
12. (of an explosive device) modified to cause radioactive contamination
    
13. (of food) indulgent but uncomplicated: dirty fries topped with cheese
14. dirty linen ⇒ intimate secrets, esp those that might give rise to gossip
15. dirty work ⇒ unpleasant or illicit activity
16. do the dirty on ⇒ to behave meanly or unkindly towards

verb (dirties, dirtying, dirtied)

1. to make or become dirty; stain; soil

ˈdirtily adverb

ˈdirtiness noun