dirty word
A word, phrase, or concept considered taboo or that is no longer approved of; something that has the potential to cause the same offense that an obscenity would. Ever since Jason won the lottery, he considers "work" to be a dirty word. When it comes to politics, "tax increases" might as well be a dirty word. Hey, "sadness" is not a dirty word. It's OK to feel sad—everybody feels sad sometimes.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
a dirty word
COMMON If something is a dirty word to someone, they disapprove of it and reject it. At the root of the company's problems was the misplaced belief that good products sell themselves. Marketing was a dirty word with them. Wolfe asks why `feminism' has become a dirty word, even among women.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
a dirty ˈword
a thing or an idea that somebody finds unpleasant or offensive: Work is a dirty word to these lazy kids.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017