Synonyms

grimy

American

[grahy-mee] / ˈgraɪ mi /

adjective

grimier, grimiest

covered with grime; dirty.

I shook his grimy hand.

Other Word Forms

grimily adverb
griminess noun

Etymology

Origin of grimy

First recorded in 1605–15; grime + -y ¹

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.

“They’re a grimy group—and I say that with great respect.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Normally a central utility plant for a large facility like this would be “very noisy. It’s grimy. Usually there’s hazardous chemicals,” Brothman, who has manged physical plants for many years, said.

From Los Angeles Times

How after each day’s end, I’d collapsed into bed fully clothed, grimy and exhausted.

From Los Angeles Times

But for USC under Riley, it felt the same, a late-season game requiring the sort of grimy toughness that his Trojans had yet to show.

From Los Angeles Times

Cohn’s sound design also offered a taste of the grimy, intense New York of the 1970s, but he wanted to remain flexible in terms of period fidelity.

From Los Angeles Times

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