filth

noun

ˈfilth 

1

: foul or putrid matter

especially : loathsome dirt or refuse

2

a

: moral corruption or defilement

b

: something that tends to corrupt or defile

Synonyms

• crud
• dirt
• grime
• gunk
• muck
• smut
• soil

Examples of filth in a Sentence

He emerged from the cellar covered in filth.

the filth of the slaughterhouse

living in filth and squalor

Recent Examples on the Web

In the middle of the nineteenth century, filth of every kind accumulated on the streets of New York. —Michael Luo, The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2024

Thousands of pigs, goats, and dogs still roamed city streets in the first half of that century, feeding on refuse and decomposing filth; stories of pigs knocking over city residents and invading their homes regularly appeared in U.S. newspapers at the time. —Thomas J. Bollyky, Foreign Affairs, 28 Mar. 2020

The catch-22: Nobody wants to deal with the filth and crime, yet nobody with a heart wants others to suffer due to the high cost of housing. —Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 2 Oct. 2024

After enduring a plane crash that killed many of their teammates, followed by 19 months of filth, starvation, conflict, and lethal cold, these girls should be kissing the asphalt that marks their return to civilization. —Judy Berman, TIME, 2 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English fȳlth, from fūl foul

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

filth

noun

ˈfilth 

1

: disgusting dirt or waste

2

: something that tends to disgust, offend, or dirty