dirty and foul 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”. foul means “highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust”. 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”
/ˈfaʊl/
1.adj.highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust
“a disgusting smell”
2.adj.offensively malodorous
“a foul odor”
3.adj.violating accepted standards or rules
“a dirty fighter”
| dirty | foul | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɝti/ | /ˈfaʊl/ |
| Said | DUR-tee | fowl |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 5 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | adjective, verb | adjective, verb, noun |
| Senses | 13 | 16 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | soiled, unclean | disgusting, disgustful, distasteful |
Full entry for dirty · Full entry for foul · More comparisons