dirt

UK /dɜːt/ US /dɜːt/

noun 6verb 1

Definitions

noun

Soil or earth.

A stain or spot (on clothes etc); any foreign substance that worsens appearance.

Previously unknown facts or rumors about a person.

The reporter uncovered the dirt on the businessman by going undercover.

Perhaps inevitably, as the manipulation of the stars' public images became ever more rigorous, so too did the efforts of gossip columnists such as Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper to uncover dirt and scandal.

Meanness; sordidness.

honours […] thrown away upon dirt and infamy

In placer mining, earth, gravel, etc., before washing.

verb

To make foul or filthy; soil; befoul; dirty

noun

Acronym of Deposit Interest Retention Tax.

Collocations

(noun.) dust/soil/mud

ADJ

loose

The loose dirt from the garden path got all over my shoes after the rain.

ingrained

dog

QUANT

speck

streak

After playing in the garden, dark streaks of dirt covered her white shirt.

layer

VERB + DIRT

be covered in/with

After playing in the garden, the children were covered with dirt from head to toe.

brush off, clean off, remove, wash off

show

Dark leather sofa shows the dirt more easily than light-colored fabric.

DIRT + VERB

accumulate

Over time, dirt accumulates on the kitchen floor if you don't sweep regularly.

DIRT + NOUN

road, track

floor

PREP

in the ~

The dog loves rolling in the dirt whenever we visit the park.

(noun.) harmful/unpleasant information about sb

VERB + DIRT

have

PREP

~ on

She found some dirt on her boss and decided to keep it secret.

PHRASES

dish the dirt

Thesaurus

Synonyms

noun — disgraceful gossip about the private lives of other people

scandal

noun — the state of being covered with unclean things

noun — the part of the earth's surface consisting of humus and disi

soil

noun — obscene terms for feces

adjective — (of roads) not leveled or drained

ungraded

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

throw dirt enough, and some will stick

If enough allegations are made about someone or something, then even if they are all untrue, people's opinion of the person or thing will be diminished.

1759, John Wesley, letter to John Downes, Rector of St. Michael's, Wood Street, read at Wesley Center Online at https://web.archive.org/web/20060903061313/http://wesley.nnu.edu/joh

dig up dirt

To examine in order to find negative information for public opinion, usually with the purpose of embarrassing or discrediting a person.

The freelance investigative reporter made a career of digging up dirt on celebrities for tabloids.

dish the dirt

To tell salacious gossip.

The tabloid newspaper was eager to dish the dirt on celebrities.

dirt file

A compilation of negative gossip or facts about someone.

eat dirt

To eat humble pie.

Example Bank

The reporter uncovered the dirt on the businessman by going undercover.

Wiktionary

Perhaps inevitably, as the manipulation of the stars' public images became ever more rigorous, so too did the efforts of gossip columnists such as Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper to uncover dirt and

Wiktionary

honours […] thrown away upon dirt and infamy

Wiktionary

He will make you eat dirt.

Tatoeba · #2169

If you take your shoes off before coming into the house you won't bring in any dirt from your shoes.

Tatoeba · #24263

When Mary was a child, her family was dirt poor.

Tatoeba · #32047

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, dirt is marked as figuratively, US, rare. Watch for register when choosing this word.

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