Dirty
Dirty adjective - Not being in accordance with the rules or standards of what is fair in sport.
Usage example: the school is known for the dirty football it plays
Unsportsmanlike is a synonym for dirty. In some cases you can use "Unsportsmanlike" instead an adjective "Dirty".
Unsportsmanlike
Unsportsmanlike adjective - Not being in accordance with the rules or standards of what is fair in sport.
Usage example: was suspended for unsportsmanlike conduct
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
- low and dirty
- low and unsportsmanlike
- mean and dirty
- mean and unsportsmanlike
- foul and dirty
- foul and unsportsmanlike
- indecent and dirty
- indecent and unsportsmanlike
- immoral and dirty
- immoral and unsportsmanlike
- nasty and dirty
- nasty and unsportsmanlike
- dishonest and dirty
- dishonest and unsportsmanlike
Both words in one sentence
- They drank together for awhile until Walker made some comments about Greb's dirty and unsportsmanlike conduct in the ring, which Greb countered by offering to fight for real outside.
Source: Combat Pragmatist / Real Life - Rogues in Dragon Age are built around this, with a focus on backstabbing (especially the Assassin specialty), and such abilities as "Dirty Fighting," which appears to throw sand in an enemy's eyes to stun, and "Below the Belt," which is described as a "swift and unsportsmanlike kick".
Source: Combat Pragmatist / Video Games
Cite this Source
Unsportsmanlike and Dirty. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 01, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/dirty/unsportsmanlike
Dirty & Unsportsmanlike. N.p., 2016. Web. 01 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/dirty/unsportsmanlike>.
Unsportsmanlike or Dirty. 2016. Accessed August 01, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/dirty/unsportsmanlike.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "dirty" and "unsportsmanlike" have occurred on timeline