filth
C1Informal, often emphatic.
Definition
Meaning
Extreme dirt or foul, disgusting matter.
Material or content considered morally or aesthetically offensive, repulsive, or obscene.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Has both literal (physical dirt) and figurative (moral corruption, obscenity) senses. Often implies disgust and requires strong emotional judgement.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major differences in core meaning. In UK, "filth" is a common slang for the police (derogatory). This usage is rare in American English.
Connotations
Equally strong negative connotations in both varieties. The slang police connotation is primarily British.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in UK English due to the additional slang meaning.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
be + covered in + filthverb (clean, remove, scrape) + away + the filthadjective (absolute, utter) + filthVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “filth and fury”
- “filthy lucre (related)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except metaphorically in ethics discussions (e.g., 'the filth of corporate corruption').
Academic
Used in sociology, literature, and cultural studies to describe societal decay or obscene material.
Everyday
Common for expressing disgust at extreme dirt or offensive content.
Technical
Used in sanitation, waste management, and environmental health contexts.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The windows were filthy from the city grime.
American English
- The truck was filthied by the muddy back roads.
adverb
British English
- He swore filthy at the referee.
American English
- He cursed filthy when he saw the damage.
adjective
British English
- He told a filthy joke.
- Take your filthy boots off the sofa!
American English
- That was a filthy thing to say.
- They live in a filthy apartment.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The floor was covered in filth.
- The restaurant was closed because of the filth in the kitchen.
- He washed the filth from his hands.
- The film was banned for its depiction of violence and filth.
- The river was polluted with industrial filth.
- The politician's speech descended into a torrent of verbal filth and slander.
- The novel explores the moral filth lurking beneath the surface of polite society.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine FILTH sounds like 'FILTHy' - it's the noun form of that adjective.
Conceptual Metaphor
IMMORALITY IS FILTH / CORRUPTION IS DIRT (e.g., 'He was accused of spreading political filth').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation to "грязь" for mild dirt; "грязь" is weaker. Use "грязь" only for extreme cases, otherwise it's too strong. For moral sense, consider "мерзость", "скверна".
Common Mistakes
- Using it for ordinary dust or mess (too strong). Confusing it with 'fifth'. Using it in overly formal contexts.
Practice
Quiz
In British slang, 'the filth' can refer to:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is commonly used figuratively to describe something morally corrupt, obscene, or deeply offensive.
No, it is too strong. Use 'mess', 'clutter', or 'dirt'. 'Filth' implies disgust and repulsive, accumulated dirt.
'Dirt' is a general, neutral term for any unclean substance. 'Filth' is an extreme, emotionally charged term for disgustingly foul dirt or corruption.
Yes, 'filthy' is the adjective form. Something that is filthy is covered in or characterized by filth.