grime

noun

ˈgrīm 

: soot, smut, or dirt adhering to or embedded in a surface

broadly : accumulated dirtiness and disorder

grime transitive verb

Synonyms of grime

• dirt
• muck
• soil
• filth

Examples of grime in a Sentence

The windows were coated with grime.

this new product really cuts through grime

Recent Examples on the Web

Scrub the inside of the tank with a scrub brush to remove grime and stains, being careful around the tank’s components. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 23 Nov. 2025

Plus is a nemesis of any grime on hardwood and laminate floors and low-pile carpets. —Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 21 Nov. 2025

Watch out for slippery roads: The initial half-hour of rain is when roads are slickest due to a mixture of rain, grime, and oil. —Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 21 Nov. 2025

Republican lawmakers would be smart to start distancing themselves from their president’s worst impulses and excesses, to begin scraping off the layers of moral grime accumulated through their years of bootlicking. —Michelle Cottle, Mercury News, 20 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for grime

• chime
• chyme
• climb
• clime
• crime
• dime
• lime
• lyme
• mime
• prime
• rhyme
• slime

Kids Definition

grime

noun

ˈgrīm 

: dirt rubbed into or covering a surface

also : accumulated dirtiness and disorder

grime verb

griminess

ˈgrī-mē-nəs

noun

grimy

ˈgrī-mē

adjective