dirty linen

noun

Matters of an embarrassing or unsavoury nature that one would normally wish to keep private.

“Hotels generate a lot of dirty linen.”

Similar
dirty laundry
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Meanings

noundirty linen (uncountable)
  1. uncountableMatters of an embarrassing or unsavoury nature that one would normally wish to keep private.

    A lot of dirty linen was exposed during the inquiry.

  2. uncountableUsed other than figuratively or idiomatically: see dirty, linen.

    Hotels generate a lot of dirty linen.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounpersonal matters that could be embarrassing if made public

Similar
dirty laundry
Broader
personal businesspersonal mattersaffairs
Also see
dirty laundry

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Cite this entry
APA

dirty linen. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dirty%20linen

MLA

“dirty linen.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dirty%20linen. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dirty linen,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dirty%20linen.

Source: dirty linen on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.