grungy

adjective

ˈgrən-jē How to pronounce grungy (audio)
Definition of grungynext
1
as in filthy
not clean after playing outside, the kids came in grungy and in need of a good bath

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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 grungy Wide-leg black jeans can sometimes skew either too grungy or too formal. — India Roby, Glamour, 8 June 2026 More toward the rowdy end are the closet-sized bars of Shinjuku’s Golden Gai, a warren of grungy alleys home to snug drinking holes with obscure themes and idiosyncratic bartender-owners. — Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2026 In The Maids, for instance, Williams has applied a dewy contemporary sheen to Genet’s grungy French cruelty. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 27 May 2026 Chu loves hyperrealism or using an ombré effect to mimic dirt, giving it a grungy feel. — Diana Tsui, Footwear News, 15 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for grungy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grungy
  1. filthy
  2. dilapidated
  3. dusty
  4. neglected
  5. blackened
  6. dirty
  7. stained
  8. muddy
Adjective
  • 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
  • A week after Venezuela’s twin earthquakes, doctors warn untreated wounds, filthy shelters and scarce supplies are fueling a looming wave of infections that could claim more lives.
    — Regina Garcia Cano, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of filthy
Adjective
  • Back at the dilapidated family home, Edgar grows even surlier, lashing into gentle-natured Joe for being an under-achiever compared to his brother and causing Thya to become apprehensive about Ed’s proximity to sharp objects.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026
  • After Will’s funeral, Alice retreats to her in-laws’ remote, dilapidated house, where, through the Necronomicon, a demonic spirit is unleashed and begins to turn the family members into Deadites.
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of dilapidated
Adjective
  • Their Victorian house looks preposterous in this dusty hamlet.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 9 July 2026
  • Miners flooded the dusty flats surrounding this area after three Irish prospectors, who had immigrated to Australia in the hopes of making their fortunes, accidentally stumbled across gold while looking for water in 1893.
    — Justin Meneguzzi, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026
Definition of dusty
Adjective
  • Changing their environment is more reliable and more neglected.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
  • Cinematographer Guillermo Garza shoots neglected settings like fine art, embracing the grime.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2026
Definition of neglected
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
  • Or stands proudly athwart a county that has long demonized it as too dirty, too crime-ridden — in other words, too Latino.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • At the center sits a giant mound of dirty work clothes, and hidden speakers play a nonstop whisper of the laborers’ names.
    — Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2026
Definition of dirty
Adjective
  • Everything from the casting (male dancers, internet faves, and very few actual models) to the scenery (a 191-year-old venue with plenty of stained glass) to the ambiance (candlelit, with lots of bows and florals) embodied the brand's quintessential mix of romance, community, and nostalgia.
    — Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 26 June 2026
  • Spread the mixture on the stained area; leave it for 15 minutes before wiping it away with a microfiber cloth.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 19 June 2026
Definition of stained
Adjective
  • Not even foundations are visible, and a long gravel road toward that part of the island leads past occasional farms and vast swaths of emptiness and then, finally, to a muddy riverbank thick with mosquitos.
    — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • After all that digging and splashing, a muddy dog still has to come back inside.
    — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026
Definition of muddy

Browse Nearby Words

grumpy
grungy
grunt
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Cite this Entry

“Grungy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grungy. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of grungy for Spanish Speakers

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