a dirty house

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a dirty house" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a house that is unclean or messy. Example: "After the party, we returned to find a dirty house that needed a thorough cleaning."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

13 human-written examples

What is a dirty house, what isn't.

The Guardian

Symptoms included repetitive cleaning, arranging and rearranging bottles on a bathroom shelf, and a terror of being found dead in a dirty house.

The Guardian

Anna accuses Mrs. Loyer of keeping a dirty house, and tells anyone who will listen that she knows what's best for Vincent.

The New Yorker

It is also a dirty house because Marcus was forced to put mud on the walls to hide painted images of lovers that had been banned by the Taliban.

The New York Times - Books

The Web site published an article called "Don't Marry Career Women," which suggested that if a man did, he was more likely to be cheated on, get divorced and have a dirty house.

The New York Times - Tech

The Bakers, who have sold their house to pay legal bills, said they feared that Anna Mae would be taken from the only home that she has known and sent to live in what they view as a life of poverty with unstable parents in a dirty house.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

44 human-written examples

Don't have a party with a smelly, dirty house.

WikiHow

Her single, "Adore" is a transfixing tune made more so by My Digital Enemy who give it a thumping dirty house remix here.

Vice

There isn't a more gruesome turn-off to people than a woman's dirty house or apartment.

WikiHow

I would frequently travel to Atlanta from my home in Florida to perform necessary, tactical tasks such as administering IV medications through the catheter drilled into his chest; cleaning a fashionable but dirty house; and trying to comfort myself and him by fixing fattening foods which I could only hope he might be able to keep down.

Huffington Post

So is Dirty House, a soot-gray private artists' residence designed by the conceptual architect David Adjaye; the building's cantilevered roof seems to hover at night, as the interior lights below give it a luminescent glow.

The New York Times - Travel

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a house as "dirty", be specific about the nature of the dirtiness. Is it dusty, cluttered, or unsanitary? This adds clarity and impact to your writing.

Common error

Avoid simply stating that a house is "dirty" without providing any details. This can be vague and uninformative. Instead, describe specific areas or aspects of the house that are unclean, such as "dirty floors", "dusty furniture", or "grimy windows".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a dirty house" functions primarily as a descriptive noun phrase. The adjective "dirty" modifies the noun "house", providing information about its condition. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically correct and widely used in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

54%

Wiki

38%

Huffington Post

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a dirty house" is a common and grammatically sound way to describe an unclean or poorly maintained residence. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is used across diverse contexts, primarily in news and media and on wikis. While seemingly straightforward, it's important to consider the context and specific details when using this phrase. Be specific when using the phrase and detail the type of dirtiness. Alternative phrases like "a messy house" or "an unkempt house" can offer subtle differences in meaning. Remember the importance of this expression as a tool to show what's lacking in maintenance, as the examples from Ludwig show.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

an unclean house

Replaces "dirty" with a direct synonym, "unclean", maintaining a very high degree of semantic similarity.

a messy house

Substitutes "dirty" with "messy", focusing on disorganization rather than just lack of cleanliness.

a filthy house

Replaces "dirty" with "filthy", intensifying the degree of uncleanliness.

an unkempt house

Replaces "dirty" with "unkempt", implying a lack of care and maintenance.

a poorly maintained house

Replaces "dirty" with a descriptive phrase, indicating neglect and lack of upkeep.

a slovenly house

Emphasizes the carelessness or negligence in maintaining the house's cleanliness.

a squalid dwelling

Replaces "house" with a more formal term, "dwelling", and "dirty" with "squalid", indicating extremely poor conditions.

a pigsty

Uses a metaphorical expression, comparing the house to a place for pigs, known for being dirty.

a neglected home

Focuses on the lack of attention and care given to the house, resulting in its dirty condition.

an ill-kept residence

Uses a more formal vocabulary to describe the lack of maintenance and cleanliness.

FAQs

What does it mean to describe a house as "a dirty house"?

Describing a house as "a dirty house" implies that the home is unclean, unkempt, and potentially unsanitary. The level of dirtiness can range from minor disarray to significant neglect, depending on the context.

What are some synonyms for "a dirty house"?

Alternatives to "a dirty house" include "a messy house", "an unclean house", "a filthy house", "an unkempt house", and "a squalid dwelling". The best choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.

How can I use the phrase "a dirty house" in a sentence?

You can use "a dirty house" in various contexts to describe a home's condition. For example, "They were evicted from the apartment because it was "a dirty house""." or "The landlord refused to return their deposit because they left "a dirty house"".

Is it better to say "a messy house" or "a dirty house"?

The choice between "a messy house" and "a dirty house" depends on what you want to emphasize. "Messy" focuses on disorganization and clutter, while "dirty" emphasizes the presence of grime, filth, or unsanitary conditions. A house can be both messy and dirty, or one without the other.