verdrecken
Translation
to soil, to get dirty, to pollute
Examples
Die Kinder haben ihre Kleidung verdreckt.
The children got their clothes dirty.
Der Fluss ist stark verdreckt.
The river is heavily polluted.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) to get (sth.) dirty The children got their clothes dirty.
verdreckt sein to be dirty/polluted The river is heavily polluted.
Similar Words
Synonyms: verschmutzen (to pollute), beschmutzen (to soil); Antonyms: säubern (to clean), reinigen (to clean)
Etymology
Composed of the prefix 'ver-' (denoting a negative process) and 'Dreck' (dirt). It literally means 'to make dirty'.
Memory Tips
Think of 'ver-' as a prefix that turns something into a state, and 'Dreck' is dirt. The verb means to become or make something dirty.