grubby

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

Synonyms of grubby

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

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

First arriving as a major player on the political scene in 2024, Big Crypto—led by firms like Coinbase and Ripple—has immersed itself in all the grubby ways of Washington. — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2026

Their work here evokes the grubby, pixellated textures and the seedy-dreamy ambience of a bygone trash-TV era. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2026

Avoid using it on wool or silk; this detergent alternative works best on cotton, towels, or grubby work clothes. — Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 1 Sep. 2026

That outsider status, some former advisors and close watchers of Carney say, is precisely what gives him room to maneuver, with Canadians seeing him as above the grubby backroom dealing of traditional politics. — Desiree Adib, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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