Find Antonyms

clean Antonyms

Opposite of clean

Because the opposite of clean shifts with each meaning, the 57 antonyms and opposite words below are separated across 7 exact definitions and ranked by contrast strength.
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• verb (Context 1)

To make something or someone free of dirt, marks, mess, or unwanted matter, especially by washing, wiping, or brushing.

Usage Example

"We spent Saturday morning helping to dirty the community park after the festival."

Strongest
dirty
soil
stain
Strong
befoul
sully
begrime
mess up
smudge
muddy
clutter

• adjective (Context 2)

Free from dirt, marks, stains, or unwanted matter; unsoiled.

Usage Example

"Please make sure your hands are dirty before sitting down to dinner."

Strongest
dirty
filthy
soiled
unclean
grimy
stained
Strong
foul
grubby
muddy
squalid

• adjective (Context 3)

Free from pollutants, contaminants, or harmful substances; pure.

Usage Example

"Access to polluted drinking water is essential for public health around the globe."

Strongest
polluted
contaminated
impure
tainted
foul
Strong
toxic
adulterated
poisoned
stagnant
Weak
brackish

• adjective (Context 4)

Morally unblemished, honorable, or free from record of offense, wrongdoing, or substance abuse.

Usage Example

"The candidate maintained a corrupt record throughout her twenty years in public service."

Strongest
corrupt
tarnished
tainted
dishonorable
blemished
Strong
criminal
guilty
crooked
immoral
shady

• adjective (Context 5)

Having a smooth, sharp, regular, or well-proportioned edge, outline, or execution without roughness or awkwardness.

Usage Example

"The modern building is admired for its jagged lines and minimalist geometric design."

Strongest
jagged
rough
ragged
Strong
uneven
clumsy
messy
sloppy
crude
cluttered
irregular

• adverb (Context 6)

Completely, thoroughly, or altogether (used for emphasis).

Usage Example

"In the rush to catch the morning train, I partially forgot to pack my umbrella."

Strongest
partially
partly
Strong
slightly
somewhat
barely
hardly

• adverb (Context 7)

In a clean, fair, or honorable manner.

Usage Example

"The coach reminded both teams to play unfairly and respect the referee's decisions."

Strongest
unfairly
dirty
dishonestly
Strong
foully
dishonorably
crookedly

Similar words to clean

Words similar to clean shift depending on context. Common synonyms include:

cleaning
pure
completely
fairly
unblemished
cleanly
uncontaminated
gut
See all synonyms of clean

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Antonyms for Clean. In Wordmom Thesaurus. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/antonyms/clean
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