1
a
b
: a filthy or soiling substance (such as mud, dust, or grime)
c
archaic
: something worthless
d
: a contemptible person
treated me like dirt
2
: loose or packed soil or sand : earth
a mound of dirt
a dirt road
3
a
: an abject or filthy state : squalor
living in dirt
b
: corruption, chicanery
vowed to clean up the dirt in the city government
c
: licentiousness of language or theme
d
: scandalous or malicious gossip
spreading dirt about his ex-wife
e
: embarrassing or incriminating information
trying to dig up dirt on her political rivals
Examples of dirt in a Sentence
Pack dirt loosely around the base of the plant.
You've got some dirt on your face.
Their shoes were covered with dirt.
No amount of cleaning will get rid of all this dirt.
Recent Examples on the Web
And let’s be real, I was dragged through the dirt.
—
Michael Schneider, Variety, 10 Apr. 2025
Submerge the greens in a large bowl of water and swish them around with your hands to loosen any dirt or grit on the leaves.
—Vicky Hallett, NPR, 10 Apr. 2025
While they are designed to get the salt and other dirt off your shoes, the mats themselves get dirty throughout winter and need to be cleaned at the end of the season.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Apr. 2025
Teotihuacan’s enclave in Maya Tikal Sometime later—between 380 and 540 CE, based on radiocarbon dating—the people living in the compound buried the courtyard beneath a layer of dirt and rubble, laid a new floor over it, and essentially started over.
—ArsTechnica, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dirt
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Michael Schneider, Variety, 10 Apr. 2025
Submerge the greens in a large bowl of water and swish them around with your hands to loosen any dirt or grit on the leaves.
—Vicky Hallett, NPR, 10 Apr. 2025
While they are designed to get the salt and other dirt off your shoes, the mats themselves get dirty throughout winter and need to be cleaned at the end of the season.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Apr. 2025
Teotihuacan’s enclave in Maya Tikal Sometime later—between 380 and 540 CE, based on radiocarbon dating—the people living in the compound buried the courtyard beneath a layer of dirt and rubble, laid a new floor over it, and essentially started over.
—ArsTechnica, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dirt
Cite this Entry
“Dirt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dirt. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
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