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

The latter half of 2025 saw goth and grunge makeup return to the mainstream. —Sophia Panych, Allure, 6 Dec. 2025

With a story of secret cabals and a child born to rule, Dumont projects the nasty prejudices and bureaucratic rigors of local politics, the tangles of family allegiances, and the tender grunge of young lust into divine and diabolical clashes run from celestial and subterranean castles. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2025

If not for her lips, which were bare in the middle and brown around the edges, her makeup would’ve resembled the classic 1990s grunge aesthetic. —Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 2 Dec. 2025

They were joined by Mike McCready of Pearl Jam and Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains, creating a one-night-only grunge mega supergroup. —Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2025

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