Definition

In a way that is not clean or is covered with dirt.

Example

The children played dirtily in the mud after the rain.

Conversation

Did you see how he played that last game?

Yeah, he really tackled that guy dirtily.

I thought the referee should have given a foul for that.

Totally! It was definitely not a clean play.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Dirtily is formed from "dirt" (from Old English "dyrt", meaning soil or filth) and "-ily" (a suffix forming adverbs meaning in a manner of). The word "dirtily" means in a manner that is dirty or unclean.

Memory Tip

Think of 'dirt' as something unclean, and the '-ily' shows how something is done. So, when you think of dirtily, imagine doing something in a dirty way.

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