Illustrative Context

This cup is clean and that one is dirty.

Target Sense

• The most generic term, typically adjectival, as the antonym of clean.
• The target is the literal sense of ‘dirty’, of an object. Avoid terms that are primarily figurative, e.g. for morally impure, unfair, treacherous.
• The target sense is visual, prototypically referring to a surface to which other materials have become applied. Avoid terms that have specific connotations of unpleasantness or smell.
• The most neutral-register term. Avoid euphemistic terms (e.g. soiled) or slang (e.g. mucky).
• Avoid intensifying or (negative) judgement terms, such as filthy, foul.
• Avoid overly specific terms that identify particular types of substance that cause the dirtiness: e.g. dusty, muddy, soiled, greasy, rusty, etc..
• Avoid terms specific to a particular form of dirtiness: e.g. stained, soiled, discoloured.
• Avoid vaguer terms for simply black, dark, etc..