"Dirty Work" is a song written by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker of Steely Dan, which appeared on the band's 1972 debut album Can't Buy a Thrill.

The song's lyrics describe an affair between a man and a married woman, sung by the man. Steely Dan FAQ author Anthony Robustelli describes "Dirty Work" as a "song of self-loathing", while The Guardian describes the narrative as soap operatic. The singer recognizes that the woman is using him, but is too infatuated to end the affair. The second verse lyric "Like a castle in its corner in a medieval game" references the rook, a piece in chess, which was a hobby of Becker's.