grubby

¹ American  

[gruhb-ee] / ˈgrʌb i /

adjective

grubbier, grubbiest

1. dirty; slovenly.

   children with grubby faces and sad eyes.

   Synonyms:

   bedraggled, filthy, messy, unkempt, grimy

2. infested with or affected by grubs or larvae.

3. contemptible.

   grubby political tricks.

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grubby ² American  

[gruhb-ee] / ˈgrʌb i /

noun

plural

grubbies

1. a small sculpin, Myxocephalus aenaeus, inhabiting waters off the coast of New England.

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grubby British  

/ ˈɡrʌbɪ /

adjective

1. dirty; slovenly

2. mean; beggarly

3. infested with grubs

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Other Word Forms

• grubbily adverb
• grubbiness noun

Etymology

Origin of grubby¹

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

Origin of grubby¹

Origin uncertain

Example Sentences

"Dirty" and "grubby" telephone boxes are a blight on a city centre, say local residents, who are calling for upgraded, digital communication kiosks to replace them.

From BBC

For here was Simon Harley-Dickinson gently helping her to her feet, and the Incorrigibles, their faces grubby and hands sticky from candy, clambering out of the town coach and crowding anxiously around her.

From Literature

As the name suggests, From The Pyre is darker, grubbier, more gothically grandiose than their critically acclaimed debut, Prelude To Ecstasy.

From BBC

"After a really busy summer the city can look a bit grubby and that's just because we don't have the money to keep it to a good standard," he said.

From BBC

He stress-tests our icky, grubby pity for Matthew and, beyond that, the flimsiness of modern fame culture and its fake-it-till-you-make-it inspirational platitudes.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• filthy
• grimy
• grungy
• messy
• seedy
• shabby
• soiled
• squalid
• unkempt