as in filthy
not clean
get rid of that grotty old rag
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Recent Examples of grotty
The grotty tenements of the Lower East Side — and the distinct fashion within — is as much of a character in A24’s drama as the eponymous ping pong player himself.
—
Anna Tingley, Variety, 27 Dec. 2025
Conners in the just-grotty-enough camp classic Showgirls; or Pamela The Last Showgirl Anderson.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2025
The show, which chronicled two spiraling roommates in a grotty London flat who invariably do exactly the wrong thing, is not for the faint of heart.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2025
The assault took place on the grottiest of vessels, manned by violent criminals who had been banished into deep space.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2025
In a stark contrast to its predecessor, the pop star’s EP tracks chronicled the sordid and grotty bits of celebrity.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2025
Bloober has translated the past as one might a literary classic, illuminating and modernizing the grottiest game to ever grace the PlayStation 2.
—Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2024
Anna Tingley, Variety, 27 Dec. 2025
Conners in the just-grotty-enough camp classic Showgirls; or Pamela The Last Showgirl Anderson.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2025
The show, which chronicled two spiraling roommates in a grotty London flat who invariably do exactly the wrong thing, is not for the faint of heart.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2025
The assault took place on the grottiest of vessels, manned by violent criminals who had been banished into deep space.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2025
In a stark contrast to its predecessor, the pop star’s EP tracks chronicled the sordid and grotty bits of celebrity.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2025
Bloober has translated the past as one might a literary classic, illuminating and modernizing the grottiest game to ever grace the PlayStation 2.
—Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grotty
Adjective
-
Her jeans are filthy; her blonde hair hangs in loose, greasy strings; bruises speckle her thin arms, and there’s a patch of blood above her right eye.—
Outside,
Outside,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Allegations of betting on suicide Like other detainees, Ramsingh said that between cleanings, the rooms, restrooms and showers were often filthy and infested with insects.—
Morgan Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
If frozen molecules can survive within these dusty structures, they may later be released into the interstellar medium as the nebula disperses, contributing complex material to future generations of stars and planetary systems.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
-
The Sombrero Galaxy was imaged to magnificent effect by the Hubble Space Telescope — most recently to mark its 35th anniversary in space — which revealed its sweeping disk-like structure and pronounced dusty lanes shining beneath its glowing galactic core.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Place a dab of olive oil on a soft cloth and gently rub the stained area.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The stained glass of the smoking room had had a red hue based on the Olympic, but was changed to yellow based on the Titanic artifacts.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
True to its name, the Butter Melt Bronzer glides on like butter and melts seamlessly into skin, delivering a silky-smooth finish that never veers cakey, muddy, or heavy on dry skin.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
11 Mar. 2026
-
During a stop on our paddle, checking out a muddy riverbank that was exposed by the drawdown, Andersen pointed out a sapling of hope.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The land, unfenced, abuts a bald blackened hillside that must be public land.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Aug. 2025
-
In its time open, fueled by fans of its blackened mahi and buttery lobster rolls, owner Mike Smith has expanded his footprint, moving into a larger stall in the popular food hall — which has allowed for a menu expansion, as well.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
Orlando Sentinel,
6 Dec. 2022
Adjective
-
Step into Lucy Score’s romance universe Score is goofy and humble, ready with a dirty or self-deprecating joke.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The Twizzlers brand has introduced a new flavor of its fan-favorite Twizzlers straws that have been inspired by the dirty soda craze.—
Molly Burford,
Southern Living,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But few teams bring a nastier one-two wallop than the Lakers, who kept the forward busy flitting back and forth between Dončić and LeBron James.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The other, maybe more difficult half, is making sure the stuff is nasty enough.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The increases will also apply to black car, taxi and limousine drivers who currently don’t pay anything to drop off passengers curbside at the airport.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The joint venture, which launched March 5, showcases a lightweight low-runner shape in four colorways (natural grey, mustard yellow, burgundy, and black), built around core principles of sustainability and minimalism—an approach both brands have long championed.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grotty. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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