noun

filth

FILTH/fɪlθ/

Foul or disgusting dirty matter.

Filth collects around the drain, mixing food scraps with dirty water.

A filthy drain corner thick with grime, discarded food scraps and dirty puddle, non-graphic.

Etymology

Old English fylð named uncleanness or impurity and belongs to the same word family as foul. The selected sense applies that quality to offensive dirt or matter itself.

In context

FOX 26 Houston92:19

But the one thing I noticed is dirt and filth. Everything's dirty and filthy and disgusting.

FULL: President Trump’s 2026 RNC Midterm Convention Speech

More examples

We scrubbed layers of filth from the bathroom floor.
His boots leave a trail of filth across the carpet.
The abandoned animals were living in filth.

Forms

filthy adjective — Covered in disgusting dirt or grime.

filthiness noun — The state of being disgustingly dirty.

Similar words

grime: Dirt that forms a stubborn layer on a surface.
muck: Usually wet, sticky dirt rather than foul matter generally.
dirt: A broader term that does not necessarily suggest disgust.