grubby

adjective

grub·​by ˈgrə-bē 

grubbier; grubbiest

1

: infested with fly maggots

2

a

: dirty, grimy

grubby hands

b

: slovenly, sloppy

3

: worthy of contempt : base

grubby political motives

grubbily

ˈgrə-bə-lē 

adverb

grubbiness

ˈgrə-bē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• bedraggled
• befouled
• begrimed
• bemired
• besmirched
• black
• blackened
• cruddy
• dingy
• dirty
• draggled
• dusty
• filthy
• foul
• grimy
• grotty [chiefly British]
• grungy
• mucky
• muddy
• nasty
• smudged
• smutty
• soiled
• sordid
• stained
• sullied
• unclean
• uncleanly

Examples of grubby in a Sentence

He lives in a grubby little apartment.

clean off those grubby hands before you touch anything

Recent Examples on the Web

The lightweight frames, adjustable nose pads and grubby temple pads make this Zunnies collection super comfortable for a list of different activities but are particularly helpful for runners. —Kasey Caminiti, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024

Photo: Adrian Nina Ormerod’s splash of pink tulle reflects a wider trend for tinted veils that has proliferated in alternative corners of the Western wedding sphere, where women aren’t robbed of £50 for a warm glass of Prosecco and the privilege of wriggling into a grubby one-size-fits-all sample. —Alice Newbold, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2024

Heaven help the grubby finger that even attempts to graze their wings. —Goth Shakira, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2024

The actors aren’t grubby or sweaty, and their clothes are neatly pressed. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 12 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1725, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

grubby

adjective

grub·​by ˈgrəb-ē 

grubbier; grubbiest

: dirty entry 1 sense 1, slovenly

grubbily

ˈgrəb-ə-lē 

adverb

grubbiness

ˈgrəb-ē-nəs 

noun