dirt

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   Loose soil or earth, especially on the ground.

   Grammar: No plural; use 'a piece of dirt' for a single bit.

   Patterns

   • a pile of dirt
   • covered in dirt

   The children played in the dirt behind the house.

   He wiped the dirt off his shoes before entering.

   The garden was full of rich, dark dirt.

2. 2noununcountable

   Any unclean substance, such as dust, mud, or grime.

   Grammar: Often used with 'wash off' or 'remove'.

   Patterns

   • wash off dirt
   • remove dirt

   There was dirt all over the kitchen floor.

   She scrubbed the dirt from her hands.

   The windows were covered in dirt and dust.

3. 3noununcountableinformal

   Informal: damaging or embarrassing information about someone.

   Grammar: Used in phrases like 'dig up dirt on someone'.

   Patterns

   • dig up dirt on someone
   • find dirt on someone

   The reporter tried to dig up dirt on the politician.

   He hired a private detective to find dirt on his rival.

   There's plenty of dirt to uncover in that company.

Common combinations

dig up dirt

The journalist dug up dirt on the celebrity's past.

dirt cheap

The hotel was dirt cheap but surprisingly clean.

treat someone like dirt

He treated his employees like dirt.

dirt road

We drove along a winding dirt road.

Synonyms and how they differ

soil

More formal and often used in gardening or science; dirt is everyday and can imply uncleanliness.

grime

Specifically refers to ingrained dirt, often on surfaces; dirt is broader.

mud

Wet, soft earth; dirt is dry or loose.

Opposites

Word family

dirty adjective

Covered or marked with dirt; not clean.

dirtiness noun

The state of being dirty.

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “dirt”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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