grime

noun

: soot, smut, or dirt adhering to or embedded in a surface
broadly : accumulated dirtiness and disorder
grime transitive verb

Examples of grime in a Sentence

The windows were coated with grime. this new product really cuts through grime
Recent Examples on the Web Long masked by layers of grime, these vivid features—newly revealed by conservators at the Louvre—illuminate the persuasive power of art: The Tudor king agreed to marry Anne after viewing this painting by Hans Holbein the Younger. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Mar. 2024 Plus, the thick and thin fibers aid in scraping off dirt and grime—and unlike coir doormats, the fibers won’t crush under heavy boots. Lee Alisha Williams, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2024 The brush roll is antimicrobial, which prevents it from hanging onto grime and yucky odors. Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024 Shampoo can remove most of the dirt, grime, and other oils our hair collects during the day. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024 The high-efficiency dual filtration system not only rids your floor of dirt and grime but also removes dust and pollen from the air around it while the enclosed canister holds up to a gallon of debris. Wendy Vazquez, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Jan. 2024 Too tuneful and idiosyncratic to compete with the grime of grunge, World Party evolved into a cult act, maintaining a faithful audience but rarely crossing over into the mainstream. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 To minimize the amount of time spent on the task, a seemingly-endless list of bathroom cleaning hacks are out there, using everything from vodka to baby oil to keep the grime at bay. Amanda Lauren, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Mar. 2024 The image was removed from Skepta’s social media later that day, with the grime artist taking to X (formerly Twitter) to apologize. Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 9 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grime.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle Dutch grime soot, mask; akin to Old English grīma mask

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grime was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near grime

Cite this Entry

“Grime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grime. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

grime

noun
: dirt rubbed into or covering a surface
also : accumulated dirtiness and disorder
grime verb
griminess
ˈgrī-mē-nəs
noun
grimy
ˈgrī-mē
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on grime

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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