dingy
Americanadjective
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of a dark, dull, or dirty color or aspect; lacking brightness or freshness.
-
shabby; dismal.
adjective
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lacking light or brightness; drab
-
dirty; discoloured
Other Word Forms
- dingily adverb
- dinginess noun
Etymology
Origin of dingy
First recorded in 1730–40; origin uncertain
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.
I slipped it under the edge of the dingy petticoat, trying to hide the ugly pink mark from her detection.
From Literature
The Mexican singer-songwriter has always found the dingy, artificially lit interiors of the city’s casinos to be a bit unsettling.
From Los Angeles Times
Goodwill, long known for its dingy thrift stores with dark, crammed aisles and overflowing bins, is getting more glamorous.
He stepped into the dingy lobby of an apartment building, reached his arm behind the radiator, and grabbed a matchbox hanging by a wire.
From Literature
They started small - their first office was so dingy that Armani took the shades off the lamps in order to see the fabrics.
From BBC
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.
