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

Guy Curtis bought Seattle’s seminal grunge venue, the Central Saloon, in 1989. —Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026

The components might be familiar—guitars that sound like they’re played through a busted Zenith TV at full volume, heavy acoustic strumming à la ’90s folk-grunge group Days of the New, Slocum’s fading read-out of a voice—but they’re all pulled into slightly unusual shapes. —Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 1 June 2026

Kristen Stewart has sported every short hairstyle worth mentioning, but this impossibly ragged, exaggerated mullet feels like the correct choice for a grunge girl summer. —Calin Van Paris, InStyle, 27 May 2026

Many theatergoers come dressed in their goth-grunge best and bearing fanart of the cast. —Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 26 May 2026

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