unclean
Soiled or impure
Unclean means dirty or impure.
The word carries stronger connotations than simply dirty—it suggests contamination or defilement: unclean water, unclean hands.
In religious contexts, unclean describes people, animals, or things that are ritually impure and must be avoided or purified: The law declared certain foods unclean.
Unclean thoughts or spirits are morally corrupt or evil.
Not wholly clean
- contaminatedMade impure by contact
- adulteratedDiluted with inferior substances
- taintedContaminated, made impure
- corruptedMade impure or dishonest
defiled · polluted · sullied · blemished · stained · spoiled · debased · degraded
Not allowed
- profaneIrreverent toward the sacred
- blasphemousDisrespectful toward the divine
- unholyWicked, impious, sinful
- sacrilegiousGrossly irreverent toward sanctity
defiled · impure · sinful · desecrated · polluted · haram · untouchable · outcast
Not clean
- filthyThoroughly unclean
- grimyCoated in stubborn dirt
- foulOffensive or illegal
- nastyDeeply unpleasant or spiteful
slimy · grubby · soiled · mucky · grungy · scummy · scuzzy · squalid
Microscopic disease agents
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
- pathogensDisease-causing microorganisms
- microbesMicroscopic living organisms
- virusesSubmicroscopic infectious particles
contamination · infection · disease · sewage · mold · mildew · vermin · parasites
Dishonest, open to bribes
- sinfulViolating moral law
- wickedEvil or slang-excellent
- vileExtremely unpleasant or bad
- debasedReduced in worth
depraved · immoral · indecent · obscene · sordid · shameful · dishonorable · base
Capable of causing harm
- radioactiveEmitting nuclear decay particles
- carcinogenicCauses cancer
- infectiousAble to spread disease
- biohazardDangerous living organism risk
poisonous · contaminated · chemical · corrosive · pathogenic · pollutant · asbestos · lead
impure
Not wholly clean
- contaminatedMade impure by contact
- adulteratedDiluted with inferior substances
- taintedContaminated, made impure
corrupted · defiled · polluted · sullied · blemished · stained · spoiled · debased · degraded · diluted
forbidden
Not allowed
- profaneIrreverent toward the sacred
- blasphemousDisrespectful toward the divine
- unholyWicked, impious, sinful
sacrilegious · defiled · impure · sinful · desecrated · polluted · haram · untouchable · outcast · pariah
dirty
Not clean
nasty · slimy · grubby · soiled · mucky · grungy · scummy · scuzzy · squalid · sordid
germs
Microscopic disease agents
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
- pathogensDisease-causing microorganisms
- microbesMicroscopic living organisms
viruses · contamination · infection · disease · sewage · mold · mildew · vermin · parasites · feces
corrupt
Dishonest, open to bribes
debased · depraved · immoral · indecent · obscene · sordid · shameful · dishonorable · base · lewd
toxic
Capable of causing harm
- radioactiveEmitting nuclear decay particles
- carcinogenicCauses cancer
- infectiousAble to spread disease
biohazard · poisonous · contaminated · chemical · corrosive · pathogenic · pollutant · asbestos · lead · mercury
- Mosaic lawMoses, Mosaic law, Ten Commandments, tablets of stone, commandment
- cleanlinessdirty, neatness, wash up, filthy, tidiness
- filthdirt, grime, dirty, filthy, muck
- taintedtainted, contaminated, corrupted, polluted, poisoned
- U-wordsugly, ultimate, ultra, umbrella, unable
- Levitical Lawburnt offering, sin offering, peace offering, Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur
uncleanclean
Free of soil
spotless · immaculate · pristine · spick-and-span · spic-and-span
- unclean spiritsMalevolent possessing entities
- unclean foodsReligiously prohibited consumables
- unclean animalsCreatures forbidden by scripture
- clean and uncleanStates of ritual purity
uncleanliness, uncleaned, uncleanly, uncleanness, uncleaner, uncleansed