dirtiness

dirtiness

English

Etymology

dirty +‎ -ness

Noun

dirtiness (usually uncountable, plural dirtinesses)

1. The state or quality of being dirty.
   • 1922, Sinclair Lewis, chapter XI, in Babbitt, New York, N.Y.: Harcourt, Brace and Company, OCLC 844076792, section IV, page 150:

     Paul was distressingly clean, but Babbitt reveled in a good sound dirtiness, in not having to shave till his spirit was moved to it.

   • 1933 January 9, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter 14, in Down and Out in Paris and London, London: Victor Gollancz […], OCLC 2603818:

     Dirtiness is inherent in hotels and restaurants, because sound food is sacrificed to punctuality and smartness.

   • 1948, Alan Paton, Cry, the Beloved Country, New York: Scribner, 1987, Chapter 6,

     So they walked till they came to Claremont and Kumalo was shocked by its shabbiness and dirtiness, and the closeness of the houses, and the filth in the streets.

Synonyms

• filthiness

Translations

state or quality of being dirty

Catalan: brutícia (ca) f French: saleté (fr) f Italian: sporcizia (it) f Latvian: netīrība f, nespodrība f Portuguese: sujidade (pt) f Romagnol: cacaréra f Spanish: suciedad (es) f Turkish: kirlilik (tr)

Anagrams

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