not clean

If someone or something is not clean or is covered in dirt, they are dirty. Dirty is the most common word with this meaning.

The most common opposite of dirty is clean. Clean is used most often to describe things that are not dirty. It is not used very often of people.

For more opposites of dirty, see the article at clean.

If something is extremely dirty, you can say it is filthy.

If something or someone looks dirty and untidy, you can say that the person or thing is scruffy or messy. Messy can also be used when someone or something produces a lot of mess.

If something is covered in dirt and needs washing, the adjectives grimy, grubby, and mucky are often used. Grubby and mucky are informal words.

The adjective soiled is a more formal way of describing something, especially something made of cloth, that is dirty.

Unclean and contaminated are used to describe things such as water that are dirty and will likely spread disease or cause ill health.

The opposite of unclean and contaminated is pure.

If a place is extremely dirty and unpleasant, the adjective squalid is sometimes used. Squalid is a disapproving word.

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