dirty word
noun
: a word, expression, or idea that is disagreeable or unpopular in a particular frame of reference
Examples of dirty word in a Sentence
The movie is just a lot of sex, violence, and dirty words.
They regard “taxes” as a dirty word.
The way he acts, you'd think compassion was a dirty word.
Recent Examples on the Web
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
That's become a dirty word in tech, code for lazily copying the real world in the digital one.
—David Pierce, WIRED, 13 Jan. 2017
Dialogue has become a dirty word for many in the Venezuelan opposition as well, thanks to Maduro’s record of using negotiations to buy time, consolidate his support, and splinter his adversaries.
—Michael J. Camilleri, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2019
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
See All Example Sentences for dirty word
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Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025
That's become a dirty word in tech, code for lazily copying the real world in the digital one.
—David Pierce, WIRED, 13 Jan. 2017
Dialogue has become a dirty word for many in the Venezuelan opposition as well, thanks to Maduro’s record of using negotiations to buy time, consolidate his support, and splinter his adversaries.
—Michael J. Camilleri, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2019
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
See All Example Sentences for dirty word
Cite this Entry
“Dirty word.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dirty%20word. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
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