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 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 Welcome to the grubby reality of international diplomacy! — Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025 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
  • Dozens of people had spent almost a year living outside, filthy and exhausted, and for what?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
  • From shabby apartments to art experiments to filthy needles—with echoes of Patti Smith and Rebecca Makkai—Adler conjures an era of sorrow borne by too many, too young.
    — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026
Definition of filthy
Adjective
  • Stuck behind Piastri for the first and second race stints, Norris felt his pace was being compromised by dirty air — the wake from one car that causes a loss in downforce and worse handling for one following closely — coming off his teammate’s car.
    — Luke Smith, New York Times, 27 July 2026
  • The dirty vegan takes a different kick, with kale noodles in a savory, creamy vegan broth topped with corn, steamed tofu, rolled tofu skin, sliced green onions and seasonal vegetables.
    — Justin Brown, AJC.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of dirty
Adjective
  • The trend intelligence platform said mentions of dusty rose, ecru and gray denim are climbing among key influencers.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 29 July 2026
  • This soft brown lumbar pillow comes with a dusty teal border that makes the aster print pop.
    — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 July 2026
Definition of dusty
Adjective
  • And wind down on Relic NoDa’s rope swings while sharing a cheap carafe.
    — Laura Horne July 31, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2026
  • In 2022, demonstrators rallied against high electricity prices in the region, which supplies other parts of Pakistan with cheap hydroelectric power.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 30 July 2026
Definition of cheap
Adjective
  • Cover the stained area with the paste, and rub it in with a sponge.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 19 July 2026
  • Victorian mansions that survived great storms and eras of change take up whole blocks, colossal buildings with stained glass windows and towering turrets.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 15 July 2026
Definition of stained
Adjective
  • But instead of playing kingmaker, the lame-duck governor has refused to get behind a candidate to succeed him.
    — Romy Ellenbogen Herald, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026
  • Stronger and more flavorful than in your original lame iteration?
    — Padgett Powell, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 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 4 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of grubby for Spanish Speakers

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