Definition and pronunciation
dirty secret /ˈdɜːrti ˈsiːkrət/ — noun phrase: a hidden truth or fact that is shameful, scandalous, or damaging if revealed, often involving dishonesty, immorality, or sexuality.
Easy explanation
A dirty secret is something embarrassing or shameful that a person or group hides. If others find out, it could cause problems, guilt, or scandal.
Grammatical formation
- Noun phrase: dirty secret.
- Plural: dirty secrets.
- Related forms: keep a dirty secret, reveal a dirty secret.
Meanings and nuances
- Personal shame — something about yourself you don’t want others to know.
- Scandalous behavior — actions that break social, moral, or sexual norms.
- Figurative use — hidden flaws in organizations, politics, or culture.
With prepositions and variants
- dirty secret about someone: “She discovered his dirty secret about gambling.”
- dirty secret of society: “The dirty secret of poverty was ignored.”
- hide/keep a dirty secret: “He kept a dirty secret for years.”
Common collocations
keep a dirty secret, reveal a dirty secret, dark dirty secret, family dirty secret, dirty secret of politics, dirty secret of industry
Idioms and neighboring expressions
- skeleton in the closet — hidden past shame
- swept under the rug — hidden or ignored problem
- dark past — shameful or troubling history
Word comparisons
- dirty secret vs skeleton in the closet: skeleton in the closet = old hidden shame; dirty secret = ongoing or current shame.
- dirty secret vs dark secret: dark = mysterious or tragic; dirty = scandalous, often immoral or sexual.
- dirty secret vs lie: lie = false statement; dirty secret = hidden truth.
Real-life examples
- “The politician’s dirty secret ruined his career.”
- “The novel uncovers a family’s dirty secret.”
- “Climate activists reveal the dirty secret of oil companies.”
- “She carried a dirty secret that weighed on her.”
- “Every industry has its dirty secrets.”
Sample sentences
- “He hid a dirty secret from his friends.”
- “The movie explores the dirty secrets of a wealthy family.”
- “Her dirty secret was finally exposed.”
- “They shared a dirty secret no one else knew.”
- “Journalists revealed the dirty secret of corruption.”
- “She lived in fear of her dirty secret being discovered.”
- “The dirty secret haunted him for years.”
- “Politics often hides dirty secrets.”
- “He confessed his dirty secret at last.”
- “Society’s dirty secrets are often silenced.”
Synonyms
skeleton in the closet, hidden shame, dark secret, scandal, cover-up, guilty secret, disgrace
Antonyms
openness, transparency, honesty, innocence, candor
Related terms
scandal, cover-up, corruption, skeleton in the closet, guilt, secrecy
Connection to sexuality
Yes, often. Dirty secret can involve sexuality, such as secret affairs, hidden desires, or taboo practices. In literature and popular culture, many “dirty secrets” are tied to sexual relationships outside social norms, though the phrase is also used for political, financial, or personal scandals.
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