1
as in filthy
not clean
after playing outside, the kids came in grungy and in need of a good bath
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
even though this grungy sweatshirt is falling apart, it's still my favorite
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grungy
Realism is also a big part of the film’s grungy and unflashy aesthetic.
—
Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2025
The new crime comedy Caught Stealing unfolds in the year 1998, traveling across a distinctly grungy New York City—all dingy subway platforms and drab Chinatown apartments.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 29 Aug. 2025
The name was a play on the popular Lollapalooza music festival and perfectly captured the grungy, alternative, and chaotic culture of the ECW brand.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
The metal eyelet details add a grungy touch, while the front of the foot features a slight platform, and all of this balances atop a five-inch heel.
—Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for grungy
Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2025
The new crime comedy Caught Stealing unfolds in the year 1998, traveling across a distinctly grungy New York City—all dingy subway platforms and drab Chinatown apartments.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 29 Aug. 2025
The name was a play on the popular Lollapalooza music festival and perfectly captured the grungy, alternative, and chaotic culture of the ECW brand.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
The metal eyelet details add a grungy touch, while the front of the foot features a slight platform, and all of this balances atop a five-inch heel.
—Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for grungy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grungy
Adjective
-
Jackson Lamb has long, greasy hair and a pot belly over which hangs a filthy old trench coat.—
Barbara Ellis,
Denver Post,
20 Oct. 2025
-
On the other end, Ja’Marr Chase is coming off an absolutely filthy touchdown grab last Sunday.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Now, charred and dilapidated buildings dot the small city center.—
NPR,
NPR,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Opening in a dilapidated house in Montana, Ramsay drops us in 'possibility', somewhere anything could happen.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This is not a dusty collection or hodgepodge of Gold Rush artifacts placed around a xeriscape.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The old shelves with their dusty cans were gone, replaced by three wooden pillars, each with a small platform at chest height.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Those plans were later abandoned during the pandemic and the house joined Denver’s neglected and derelict building list in 2024.—
Justin Wingerter,
Denver Post,
8 Oct. 2025
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Same premise as the exterior, but even more important: Don’t buy a car with a neglected interior.—
Jimmy Camp,
Oc Register,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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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
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The clinic was dirtier than any of the animal hospitals that Strickland had worked in, with swarms of cockroaches hiding between the metal cages.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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Also, dual water tanks ensure the robot vacuum is not recirculating dirty water on my hard floors.—
Terri Williams,
Architectural Digest,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The stained glass traces a hierarchy from the current dean to the Crown and then to God.—
Rick Burton,
Sportico.com,
6 Oct. 2025
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Wood stained baseboards may need a gentler cleaning approach, such as Murphy’s Oil Soap, to protect the finish.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Many of the town’s colorful homes, historical buildings and lush greenery have been reduced to piles of rubble that litter the now-muddy ground.—
Devon Sayers,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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Ten years ago, while using GPS and weather-monitoring equipment, researchers developed a theory that a combination of ice, sunlight, rain, and high winds creates a scenario where the stones could feasibly be pushed across the firm but muddy surface of the former lake.—
Graham Averill,
Outside,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grungy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grungy. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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