dirt
Americannoun
-
dirt
plural
-
any foul or filthy substance, as mud, grime, dust, or excrement.
-
earth or soil, especially when loose.
-
something or someone vile, mean, or worthless.
After that last outburst of hers I thought she was dirt.
-
moral filth; vileness; corruption.
-
obscene or lewd language.
to talk dirt.
-
Informal. gossip, especially of a malicious, lurid, or scandalous nature.
Tell me all the latest dirt.
- Synonyms:
- scuttlebutt, rumor, slander, scandal
-
private or personal information which if made public would create a scandal or ruin the reputation of a person, company, etc.
-
Mining.
-
crude, broken ore or waste.
-
(in placer mining) the material from which gold is separated by washing.
-
idioms
-
eat dirt, to accept blame, guilt, criticism, or insults without complaint; humble or abase oneself.
The prosecutor seemed determined to make the defendant eat dirt.
-
do (someone) dirt. dirty.
noun
-
any unclean substance, such as mud, dust, excrement, etc; filth
-
loose earth; soil
-
-
packed earth, gravel, cinders, etc, used to make a racetrack
-
( as modifier )
a dirt track
-
-
mining the gravel or soil from which minerals are extracted
-
a person or thing regarded as worthless
-
obscene or indecent speech or writing
-
slang gossip; scandalous information
-
moral corruption
-
slang to do something vicious to someone
-
informal to spread malicious gossip
-
slang to accept insult without complaining
-
to have no respect or consideration for someone
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of dirt
1250–1300; Middle English dirt, drit; cognate with Old Norse drit excrement; compare Old English drītan
Explanation
Dirt is earth or soil — it's the substance that makes up the dry surfaces of our planet. Gardeners spend a lot of time digging in the dirt, planting seeds and pulling up weeds. Dirt is the fine rock that makes up soil, but it also means anything unclean: "Do something about the dust and dirt in this room before our guests arrive!" When you know something embarrassing about another person, especially juicy gossip, you can call that information dirt as well — this meaning was coined by Ernest Hemingway in 1926. The word comes from the Old English drytt, "mud, dirt, or dung."
Vocabulary lists containing dirt
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A decade ago, Rams owner Stan Kroenke and Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. happily dug ceremonial shovels into the dirt at Hollywood Park, celebrating the impending construction of the world’s most expensive stadium.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
“I’m not saying the AI revolution isn’t real, but why not take some chips off the table and put on the unnoticed parts of the market small-cap value, emerging-markets value are trading dirt cheap.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
The veteran infielder stood by his locker at Dodger Stadium, his eyes red and watery, his uniform covered in dirt, knowing that when he pulled them off, it would be for the last time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Images released by emergency services showed rescue workers in high-visibility vests scrambling to move debris, rubble and dirt.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
Beyond those were the dirt roads and garden plots of the vegetable sellers who rattled by in the early mornings with their horses and carts.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
