grubby

adjective

ˈgrə-bē How to pronounce grubby (audio)
Definition of grubbynext
1
as in filthy
not clean clean off those grubby hands before you touch anything

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dirty
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust that's a grubby reason to stop talking to a friend

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 grubby The ceramic interior is easy to clean and the fingerprint-resistant finish keeps the exterior from looking grubby. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2026 James Whitaker’s cinematography leans into a blue-hued, grubby aesthetic that gives the film a gritty charm, while touches like the chant that goes along with the film’s title card perfectly add to its aesthetic charms. — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 10 Feb. 2026 Stroheim, who shot on location, delivers a grungy and grubby story, his fanatical eye for grim detail producing a portrait of ordinary misery that assumes symbolic force. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026 Yet its misguided grubby reputation is being peeled away to reveal the wealth of cultural and culinary treats. — Duncan Madden, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grubby
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grubby
  1. filthy
  2. dirty
  3. dusty
  4. cheap
  5. stained
  6. lame
  7. blackened
  8. pitiful
Adjective
  • The game starts with a flashback 30 years ago to a feral, filthy Wolverine who’s living alone in the wilderness.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Few things at airports irritate customers like filthy toilets or water on the restroom floor.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of filthy
Adjective
  • By the time her wedding day arrived on Saturday, all that was left for Jordyn to do was take it all in—and get her dress dirty at some point along the way.
    — Alexandra Macon, Vogue, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Recently, my dad discovered these non-slip couch covers that protect the upholstery on their couches from dirty paws.
    — Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of dirty
Adjective
  • Say goodbye to dusty interiors and read on for our top picks for the best cordless stick vacuums, spin mops, and two-in-one vac-and-mop robot vacs.
    — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Even as dusty plasma at small scales organizes itself in two dimensions, the researchers plan to carry to out 3D simulations in the future.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of dusty
Adjective
  • Brands like Slate and Ford are betting cheaper, smaller electric trucks can attract buyers priced out of larger pickups.
    — Beth Livesay, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Beyond removing the psychological and practical barrier of injections, oral formulations are not reliant on syringes or refrigeration and are cheaper to manufacture.
    — Perdita Nouril, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of cheap
Adjective
  • How To Deep Clean Stained Wood Baseboards For stained wood baseboards, Matthews advises dusting using a dry microfiber cloth and Murphy’s Oil or a wood cleaning oil (remove excessive dirt and crumbs with a vacuum cleaner first).
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The stained glass above the front door had fallen into the street, held up only by a single cord.
    — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of stained
Adjective
  • But between now, November and the lame-duck period, there’s still time to pass legislation before election results shake things up.
    — Washington Post Opinions, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Payton seemed awfully pleased with himself for his lame dad joke.
    — Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of lame
Adjective
  • The land, unfenced, abuts a bald blackened hillside that must be public land.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Definition of blackened
Adjective
  • Completing the hat trick in pitiful style, Taking on the World was shot on a shoestring budget, helmed by the man behind Highlander III, and forced to rely on stock footage of real-life footballers.
    — Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026
  • Given the national team’s pitiful demise at the Oval, with New Zealand completing victory on the fifth morning, Ben Stokes’ revival in absentia feels like the only consolation from a miserable week.
    — Hector Vickers, New York Times, 21 June 2026
Definition of pitiful

Browse Nearby Words

grubbing (about)
grubby
grubs
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Cite this Entry

“Grubby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grubby. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of grubby for Spanish Speakers

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