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Synonyms

crummy

1 American  
[kruhm-ee] / ˈkrʌm i /

adjective

crummier, crummiest

  1. Slang. Also

    1. dirty and run-down; shabby; seedy.

      a crummy fleabag of a hotel.

    2. of little or no value; cheap; worthless.

      crummy furniture that falls apart after a month of use.

    3. wretchedly inadequate; miserable; lousy.

      They pay crummy salaries.

noun

plural

crummies

  1. Railroads Slang. a caboose.

crummy 2 American  
[kruhm-ee, kroom-ee] / ˈkrʌm i, ˈkrʊm i /

noun

Chiefly Scot.

plural

crummies

  1. crummie.

crummy 1 British  
/ ˈkrʌmɪ /

adjective

  1. of little value; inferior; contemptible

  2. unwell or depressed

    to feel crummy
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
crummy 2 British  
/ ˈkrʌmɪ /

noun

  1. a lorry that carries loggers to work from their camp

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • crummily adverb
  • crumminess noun

Etymology

Origin of crummy

1855–60; perhaps obsolete crum crooked ( see crummie) + -y 1; sense “caboose” of unclear derivation and perhaps a distinct word

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Nothing at all apart from my little crummy car and my dog."

From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026

Gifted prospects are routinely sacrificed on crummy franchises ill-prepared to develop or even protect them.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

“These infections are milder and don't require hospitalizations, even though they make you feel crummy for three or four days,” he said.

From Salon • Jul. 30, 2024

It must be said: In a salad, breadcrumbs are a crummy replacement for croutons.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 7, 2024

“For what? For a little loudmouthed troublemaker who’s trickling a couple gallons of water into a crummy beanfield?”

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.