GUNKY Synonyms: 43 Similar and Opposite Words

gunky

adjective

as in grimy

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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 gunky One commenter mentioned that the gunky conditions were reminiscent of a river in Colorado overrun by didymo, an algae that can form thick mats, making the water unpleasant for fish, animals and people. — Hannah Smith july 25, Idaho Statesman, 25 July 2026 America was built on a thick, gunky crude that comes from other countries including Canada, Saudi Arabia and Central and South American nations. — Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 9 Mar. 2026 But the gunky fascinations of the text remain intact. — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gunky

Adjective

Arguably the standout set of the entire festival, her set was grimy and dark, featuring songs off her new album, Music, Fashion, Film, for the first time with a permanent snarl.

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
This should include scraping (not rinsing) large chunks of food off the dishes to avoid clogging the dishwasher’s filters, and pre-treating any heavily greasy or grimy dishes.

— The Spruce, The Spruce, 29 July 2026

Definition of grimy

Adjective

Being outdoors, they’re exposed to all sorts of dust, pollen, dirt, bird droppings, spider webs, leaves, sap, weather, and pollutants carried by the wind, which can leave a filthy coating on your shutters.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2026
Cleaning our planet’s filthy ports could one day get a boost from a creature with a very messy nickname.

— Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 30 July 2026

Definition of filthy

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

Nathu is told that the carcass is required for veterinary purposes, but it is later placed on the steps of a mosque to provoke Muslim anger since pigs are traditionally considered unclean in Islam.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
Unfortunately, during the early to mid-twentieth century, negative perceptions of immigrant and ethnic laborers led many outsiders to view their neighborhoods as unsafe, unclean, and detrimental to the social fabric of American cities.

— Michelle Oliva-Espinosa, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026

Definition of unclean

Adjective

Run the exhaust fan during and after every shower, replace towels frequently, and clean the bathroom every week to keep it from getting grubby in summer.

— Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 19 July 2026
The earliest of the Roman Romance novels dates from the first century CE, just as the first emperor Augustus ended the Republic once and for all and gathered the whole Roman empire into his own grubby little hands.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 June 2026

Definition of grubby

Adjective

Wise’s wistful songwriting is retained, but completely missing is his intentionally impure palette.

— Billie Bugara, Pitchfork, 7 Mar. 2026
Kanto practitioners believe that women cannot participate because, according to Japan's Shinto religion, women's blood from menstruation and childbirth is considered impure for the purpose of religious rituals.

— Anthony Kuhn, NPR, 3 Nov. 2025

Definition of impure

Adjective

The mop head was stored directly inside the mop bucket, soiled and wet, and not in use.

— Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado July 24, Sacbee.com, 24 July 2026
Let the cleaner sit for 15 minutes and blot the excess, or cover it with a damp cloth and leave it for up to 24 hours for heavily soiled or old, set-in spots.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 26 June 2026

Definition of soiled

Adjective

The singer and actress, 33, received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, while looking like a true rockstar in a grungy gown with tousled hair complemented by sleek and smokey makeup that exclusively used Maybelline New York products.

— Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026
But the real key to the magic is that frenetic tone — the dirty, grungy, previously unheard sludge created when guitarist/Ray’s brother Dave Davies slashed his amp’s speaker with a razor.

— Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026

Definition of grungy

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gunk

gunky

gunman

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“Gunky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gunky. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of gunky

adjective

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