grubby

1 of 2

adjective

grub·​by ˈgrə-bē 

grubbier; grubbiest

1

: infested with fly maggots

2

a

: dirty, grimy

grubby hands

a grubby garage

b

: slovenly, sloppy

… her grubby and disheveled condition …

—P. G. Wodehouse

3

: worthy of contempt : base

grubby political motives

… became involved in grubby squabbles over money …

—Clive Gammon

grubbily

ˈgrə-bə-lē 

adverb

grubbiness

ˈgrə-bē-nəs 

noun

grubbiness

2 of 2

noun

grub·​bi·​ness -bēnə̇s 

-bin-

plural -es

: the state of being grubby:

a

: the condition of being dirty, grimy, or slovenly : grubby look

her occasional appearances in bare feet and her general look of grubbiness

—Life

b

: sordidness, meanness

the grubbiness of being poor

—Willa Cather

Synonyms of grubby

Adjective

• filthy
• dusty
• stained
• dirty
• blackened
• muddy
• black

Examples of grubby in a Sentence

Adjective

He lives in a grubby little apartment.

clean off those grubby hands before you touch anything

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The mighty American sub surfaces in England only in grubby Subway franchises in tourist locations. —Dominic Green, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026

In Mohit’s telling, Laxman seems merely grubby and small-minded. —Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026

The ceramic interior is easy to clean and the fingerprint-resistant finish keeps the exterior from looking grubby. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2026

James Whitaker’s cinematography leans into a blue-hued, grubby aesthetic that gives the film a gritty charm, while touches like the chant that goes along with the film’s title card perfectly add to its aesthetic charms. —Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 10 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1725, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for grubby

• chubby
• cubby
• hubby
• scrubby
• shrubby
• stubby
• tubby

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