grungy

adjective

grun·​gy ˈgrən-jē 

grungier; grungiest

1

: shabby or dirty in character or condition

2

: characteristic of grunge music or fashion

Synonyms of grungy

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

Examples of grungy in a Sentence

After working in the garden all day, I felt sweaty and grungy.

a grungy pair of jeans

Recent Examples on the Web

Building to a poignant climax, writer-director Noah Segan’s elegant love letter to both New York and to bygone cinematic eras recalls both the 1970s, with its grungy urban antiheroes, and the 1990s, in its American indie ethos. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026

In recent appearances on the stage and the red carpet, the 26-year-old has been leaning into her grungy, indie-goth aesthetic. — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 8 Aug. 2026

The singer and actress, 33, received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, while looking like a true rockstar in a grungy gown with tousled hair complemented by sleek and smokey makeup that exclusively used Maybelline New York products. — Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026

But the real key to the magic is that frenetic tone — the dirty, grungy, previously unheard sludge created when guitarist/Ray’s brother Dave Davies slashed his amp’s speaker with a razor. — Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for grungy

• bungee
• spongy

Kids Definition

grungy

adjective

grun·​gy ˈgrən-jē 

grungier; grungiest

: being in a shabby or dirty condition