filthy
B2informal, often emotive/emphatic
Definition
Meaning
extremely dirty, covered with or containing unpleasant substances
obscene, morally repugnant, very unpleasant or nasty
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Carries strong negative emotional force beyond basic 'dirty'. Often used for moral disgust. Can be used as an intensifier (filthy rich, filthy weather).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both use similarly. UK more likely in idioms about weather ('filthy day'). US may use 'filthy' more for moral disgust in political/media contexts.
Connotations
Both strongly negative. UK: strong association with dirt/muck. US: stronger association with obscenity/vulgarity.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in UK English (Corpus data: ~40% more).
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
be filthy with [noun]filthy from [noun/gerund]filthy [noun]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “filthy rich”
- “filthy lucre”
- “filthy habit”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare except metaphorically ('filthy practices', 'filthy profits')
Academic
Limited to literary analysis or sociological descriptions of poverty
Everyday
Common for dirt, weather, money, language, behaviour
Technical
Not used in technical senses; environmental science might use 'heavily contaminated' instead
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- No standard verb usage in modern English
American English
- No standard verb usage in modern English
adverb
British English
- He's filthy rich from his tech investments.
- They played filthy well in the second half.
American English
- She's filthy rich but never shows it off.
- The car was filthy dirty after the off-road race.
adjective
British English
- The football pitch was absolutely filthy after the match.
- He's got a filthy temper when he's tired.
- We had filthy weather for the entire holiday.
American English
- Her apartment was filthy with old food containers everywhere.
- That was a filthy thing to say to your sister.
- He made a filthy amount of money from that deal.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Wash your hands, they're filthy!
- The room was very filthy.
- He wore the same filthy jeans for a week.
- I need to clean this filthy window.
- The politician was accused of using filthy tactics to win.
- After camping for days, we were all absolutely filthy.
- The documentary exposed the filthy conditions in some factories.
- His filthy lucre came from dubious offshore accounts.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
FILTH + Y = Full of filth. Imagine a 'y' shaped stain spreading filth everywhere.
Conceptual Metaphor
DIRT IS IMMORALITY (filthy mind, filthy lies), WEALTH IS DIRT (filthy rich)
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Not just 'грязный' - carries moral weight. 'Filthy joke' = похабный анекдот, not просто грязный. 'Filthy rich' = очень богатый, often with negative connotation.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'filthy' for mildly dirty situations (overkill). Confusing 'filthy' with 'dirty' in idioms ('dirty rich' is incorrect).
Practice
Quiz
Which phrase uses 'filthy' CORRECTLY as an intensifier?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Filthy' is much stronger and more emotive. Something dirty might need cleaning; something filthy is disgustingly dirty or morally repugnant.
Rarely. In sports slang, 'filthy' can mean impressively skilled ('a filthy move'), but this is niche usage.
Predominantly informal. Avoid in academic or formal business writing unless quoting or for deliberate effect.
It implies the wealth is excessive, ill-gotten, or morally questionable—playing on the metaphor that extreme wealth is 'dirty' money.