grunge

noun

ˈgrənj 

1

: one that is grungy

2

: rock music incorporating elements of punk rock and heavy metal

also : the untidy fashions typical of fans of grunge

grunger

ˈgrən-jər

noun

Examples of grunge in a Sentence

I'm a fan of grunge.

I cleared the grunge out of the drains.

Recent Examples on the Web

But mostly, Cronenberg jacks up his own career-long obsessions with glop and grunge and decay to fever pitch. —Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025

First-time nominees Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper, the hip-hop pioneers Outkast, the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden. —CBS News, 28 Apr. 2025

This interpretation offers grunge accents and a casualness that predates the decade that inspired them by completing the outfit with a blouse that reinterprets the classic plaid flannel. —Paulina Berges, Glamour, 20 Apr. 2025

It’s been more than 30 years since Nirvana disbanded following the death of frontman Kurt Cobain, yet the grunge icons continue to regularly appear on rankings in many Western markets. —Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from grungy

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for grunge

• lunge
• plunge
• sponge
• expunge
• muskellunge