FILTHY Synonyms: 364 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'filthy' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of filthy are dirty , foul , nasty , and squalid . While all these words mean "conspicuously unclean or impure," filthy carries a strong suggestion of offensiveness and typically of gradually accumulated dirt that begrimes and besmears. Figuratively, it can also describe disgusting obscenity. // a stained greasy floor, utterly filthy // filthy street language

Q: When might 'dirty' be a better fit than 'filthy'?

In some situations, the words dirty and filthy are roughly equivalent. However, dirty emphasizes the presence of dirt more than an emotional reaction to it or, figuratively, stresses meanness or despicableness. // a dirty littered street // don't ask me to do your dirty work

Q: When would 'foul' be a good substitute for 'filthy'?

The words foul and filthy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, foul implies extreme offensiveness and an accumulation of what is rotten or stinking; it can also describe, for example, loathsome behavior. // a foul -smelling open sewer // a foul story of lust and greed

Q: How is 'nasty' related to other words for 'filthy'?

Nasty applies to what is actually foul or is repugnant to one expecting freshness, cleanliness, or sweetness; in practice, however, nasty is often weakened to the point of being no more than a synonym of unpleasant or disagreeable . When used figuratively, nasty implies a peculiarly offensive unpleasantness. // it's a nasty job to clean up after a sick cat // had a nasty fall // his answer gave her a nasty shock // a stand-up comedian known for nasty humor

Q: In what contexts can 'squalid' take the place of 'filthy'?

The synonyms squalid and filthy are sometimes interchangeable, but squalid adds to the idea of dirtiness and filth that of slovenly neglect. Distinctively, its figurative use implies sordidness as well as baseness and dirtiness. // squalid slums // engaged in a series of squalid affairs

filthy 1 of 2

adjective

ˈfil-thē

Definition of filthy

as in obscene

depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society you cannot use such filthy language on the public airwaves

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in dirty

not clean you can't go to the concert unless you clean this filthy room first

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

filthy

2 of 2

adverb

as in extremely

to a great degree the invention made him filthy rich

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective filthy differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of filthy are dirty, foul, nasty, and squalid. While all these words mean "conspicuously unclean or impure," filthy carries a strong suggestion of offensiveness and typically of gradually accumulated dirt that begrimes and besmears. Figuratively, it can also describe disgusting obscenity.

a stained greasy floor, utterly filthy

filthy street language

When might dirty be a better fit than filthy?

In some situations, the words dirty and filthy are roughly equivalent. However, dirty emphasizes the presence of dirt more than an emotional reaction to it or, figuratively, stresses meanness or despicableness.

a dirty littered street

don't ask me to do your dirty work

When would foul be a good substitute for filthy?

The words foul and filthy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, foul implies extreme offensiveness and an accumulation of what is rotten or stinking; it can also describe, for example, loathsome behavior.

a foul-smelling open sewer

a foul story of lust and greed

How is nasty related to other words for filthy?

Nasty applies to what is actually foul or is repugnant to one expecting freshness, cleanliness, or sweetness; in practice, however, nasty is often weakened to the point of being no more than a synonym of unpleasant or disagreeable. When used figuratively, nasty implies a peculiarly offensive unpleasantness.

it's a nasty job to clean up after a sick cat

had a nasty fall

his answer gave her a nasty shock

a stand-up comedian known for nasty humor

In what contexts can squalid take the place of filthy?

The synonyms squalid and filthy are sometimes interchangeable, but squalid adds to the idea of dirtiness and filth that of slovenly neglect. Distinctively, its figurative use implies sordidness as well as baseness and dirtiness.

squalid slums

engaged in a series of squalid affairs

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of filthy

Adjective

Raman has promised to speed up housing construction, bring back entertainment industry jobs and improve services in a city known for filthy streets, gridlock and an unresponsive City Hall. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026 People were filthy in so many ways, so Mike really wrote that in. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2026 While sinks can become filthy from soap splatters and dirty hands, toilets need cleaning for very different reasons. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2026 The game starts with a flashback 30 years ago to a feral, filthy Wolverine who’s living alone in the wilderness. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for filthy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for filthy

Adjective

In Russia, soldiers die at the front by the hundreds of thousands while politically compliant billionaires accumulate obscene fortunes.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
At the next timeout, an announcement was made asking fans to refrain from obscene chants.

— Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of obscene

Adjective

In the world of sports broadcasting, ESPN and Buck did Aikman dirty.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2026
Now Gizelle has to decide whether that person is her longtime friend in real life or the woman who has spent the past several seasons doing much of her dirty work.

— Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of dirty

Adjective

In her smartly vulgar The Seasons (1957), which extends nearly 17 feet, Krasner returns to the subject of rebirth one year after Pollock’s death, depicting abundant forms resembling genitalia.

— John Yau, ARTnews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
While Musgraves' comments received both praise and backlash, one country music legend took exception to the vulgar remarks.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of vulgar

Adjective

The state was apportioned a bare 300,000 acre-feet a year in 1928, when Las Vegas was merely a dusty outpost miles from the Hoover Dam construction site.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
On July 2, 2025, a burst with energy equivalent to 1,000 suns blazing for 10 billion years lit up Fermi’s detectors, heading from a dusty galaxy about eight billion light-years from Earth.

— Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of dusty

Adverb

And Winnie-the-Pooh continues to sit, in a thoughtful sort of way, which is what very old bears in very nice glass cases mostly do.

— STEVE HENDRIX THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
The Dolphins’ attendance has dropped significantly so far this season, albeit in a very limited sample size.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of very

Adjective

On the day of the $50 million demand, a WeChat chat on one of her phones shows pornographic images arriving and being sent back with Victim-1’s face grafted on, the complaint says.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
The filing follows a separate legal battle launched by Meloni in 2024 against a man accused of creating and posting deepfake pornographic images using her likeness.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of pornographic

Adjective

While stained glass does have a residential history—Frank Lloyd Wright in particular was known for incorporating art glass in projects—these colorful windows most often have religious connotations.

— Kelsey Mulvey, Architectural Digest, 20 Oct. 2026
Muashaq has long been a symbol of Damascus architecture, with stained glass an art form in the city dating back to the first century.

— Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of stained

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“Filthy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/filthy. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of filthy

adjective

adverb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Articles Related to filthy

6 Obscure Words for Messes

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