dingy

[din-jee]

adjective

dingier, dingiest 

1. of a dark, dull, or dirty color or aspect; lacking brightness or freshness.

2. shabby; dismal.

dingy

/ ˈdɪndʒɪ /

adjective

1. lacking light or brightness; drab

2. dirty; discoloured

Other Word Forms

• dingily adverb
• dinginess noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of dingy¹

First recorded in 1730–40; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of dingy¹

C18: perhaps from an earlier dialect word related to Old English dynge dung

Example Sentences

Goodwill, long known for its dingy thrift stores with dark, crammed aisles and overflowing bins, is getting more glamorous.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He stepped into the dingy lobby of an apartment building, reached his arm behind the radiator, and grabbed a matchbox hanging by a wire.

Read more on Literature

They started small - their first office was so dingy that Armani took the shades off the lamps in order to see the fabrics.

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In the end, she found a small door into a block of flats and says she was told to wait in a "dingy little hallway" for about half an hour.

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But the chilling truth of what they endured in a dingy ground floor flat remained a secret until the young girl's hysterical reaction on 21 March 2020.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• dilapidated 
• dirty 
• drab 
• dreary 
• grimy 
• run down 
• seedy 
• shabby