filth
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /fˈɪlθ/
US
- /ˈfɪlθ/
Description
- Extreme dirt
- grime
- squalor
- obscenity
- moral corruption
Filth is not just ordinary dirt; it suggests a shocking level of mess, grime, or foul waste. It brings to mind sticky floors, rotting garbage, mud, stains, and places that feel unhealthy or disgusting. The word is strong and negative, much harsher than simply saying something is dirty. It can also be used in a moral sense for behavior, language, or material seen as obscene, shameful, or corrupt.
The word "filth" suggests far more than a little dirt or untidiness. It points to an ugly, disturbing level of uncleanliness: built-up grime, foul waste, decay, and the kind of mess that makes people recoil. When someone uses this word, they usually want to stress that the dirt is not mild or accidental but extreme and offensive.
In everyday physical use, it often describes places or things that are revoltingly dirty: a room full of old food and trash, clothes caked with mud and grease, or streets covered in sewage and rubbish. It has a stronger emotional force than words like "dirt" or "mess" because it suggests disgust as well as uncleanliness. A landlord might be horrified by the filth left in an apartment, and a health inspector might use the word for conditions that seem dangerous as well as dirty.
The word also moves easily into figurative meaning. People use it for moral corruption, disgusting behavior, or speech and media they judge to be obscene or indecent. In that sense, someone may speak of moral filth, filthy language, or printed or online filth when they mean vulgar or offensive material. This use is often emotional and judgmental, and it tells you as much about the speaker's attitude as about the thing being described.
Overall, "filth" is a vivid word for something deeply dirty, deeply offensive, or both. It can describe actual grime and waste, but it can also point to obscenity, corruption, and conduct that feels low or shameful. In every use, it carries a strong sense of disgust.
Examples
- 1
Dirty apartment
By the end of the week, the apartment was covered in filth.
- 2
Living conditions
No child should have to live in filth.
- 3
Work grime
His hands were black with oil and filth after fixing the engine.
- 4
Obscene content
The magazine was criticized for filling its pages with filth.
Meaning
filth
very offensive sexual content
- 5
Obscene language
I was disgusted by the filth that came out of his mouth.
Phrase
the filth that came out of his mouth
extremely rude or obscene language
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- filthnoun