chiefly British

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of grotty 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 The film is the story of Robert (Daniel Zolghadri), who wants to reject the suburban comforts of his upbringing for a grotty world as an aspiring underground cartoonist. Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grotty
Adjective
  • Away from a filthy Superdome and Convention Center where they had been holed up for days.
    Suzette Hackney, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Alexander pulled out a baby-blue melodica to lay down a filthy ska rhythm for his band.
    Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Use the floor brush for stairs, the crevice tool for windowsills and couch cushions, and the dusting brush for dusty surfaces.
    Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Poor Ventilation Along with the increase in moisture and humidity, another leading cause for a dusty bathroom is poor ventilation.
    Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Dip a microfiber cloth in the solution and saturate the stained area.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Hold the stained fabric taut and let the water flow from the back of the shirt to the front, allowing the water to push the stain away from the fabric rather than through it.
    Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • On a recent morning, sweaty workers unloaded cargo boats by hand, carrying crates of beer, sacks of rice, and bags of flour on their shoulders 100 yards up the muddy riverbank to trucks waiting on the wharf.
    John Otis, NPR, 7 Sep. 2025
  • In 1943, when the Mississippi tore away from its banks and charted a fierce and muddy course across America’s central farmlands, Gerard’s grandfather, Harold Gerard, had already fled the waters once.
    Julia Rendleman, ProPublica, 5 Sep. 2025
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
  • Wearing shoes in the home tracks soil from outside, leaving floors dirtier and requiring more frequent sweeping.
    Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Laptop screens get spattered, smeared, dusty, and dirty from frequent use.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Sean Gardner/Getty Images This comes just weeks after Zilisch suffered a nasty fall from his car in Victory Lane at Watkins Glen, which resulted in a broken collarbone.
    Lydia Mee, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Parents pushing, people cutting lines, nasty attitudes everywhere, especially outside and in Sephora.
    Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Brunch might mean a humus bowl layered with lamb and pickled onion, or a shakshuka made with black lime tomato stew.
    Rai Mincey, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The ensemble featured a visible black underwire and corset boning at the bust and torso, while the sheer black fabric created an illusion of draping around her bust and the rest of her body.
    Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Grotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grotty. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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