dirty and filthy share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. dirty means “soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime”. filthy means “disgustingly dirty; filled or smeared with offensive matter”. dirty is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈdɝti/
1.adj.soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime
“dirty unswept sidewalks”
2.adj.(of behavior or especially language) characterized by obscenity or indecency
“dirty words”
3.adj.vile; despicable
“a dirty (or lousy) trick”
/ˈfɪlθi/
1.adj.disgustingly dirty; filled or smeared with offensive matter
“as filthy as a pigsty”
2.adj.vile; despicable
“a dirty (or lousy) trick”
3.adj.characterized by obscenity
“had a filthy mouth”
| dirty | filthy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɝti/ | /ˈfɪlθi/ |
| Said | DUR-tee | FIL-thee |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 5 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | adjective, verb | adjective |
| Senses | 13 | 3 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | soiled, unclean | foul, nasty |
Full entry for dirty · Full entry for filthy · More comparisons