grunge

[gruhnj]

noun

Slang.

1. dirt; filth; rubbish.

2. something of inferior quality; trash.

   He didn't know good music from grunge.

3. a person who works hard, usually for meager rewards; grind.

4. a style or fashion derived from a movement in rock music: in fashion characterized by unkempt clothing and in music by aggressive, nihilistic songs.

grunge

/ ɡrʌndʒ /

noun

1. slang,  dirt or rubbish

2. a style of rock music originating in the US in the late 1980s, featuring a distorted guitar sound

3. a deliberately untidy and uncoordinated fashion style

Word History and Origins

Origin of grunge¹

1960–65; expressive coinage, perhaps reflecting grime and sludge; sense “grind” perhaps by association with drudge

Word History and Origins

Origin of grunge¹

C20: possibly a coinage imitating _grime + _sludge

Example Sentences

The wide scope of the album, both in subject and sound, made it an ambitious and unique among rock releases of the time, shedding the humble irony of the grunge movement for vulnerability and exploration.

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Soundgarden, the seminal Seattle grunge rock group, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at a star-studded ceremony at the Peacock Theater on Saturday night.

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“It’s almost like we’re coming out of grunge again and putting the diamonds back on.”

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Prompted by Fallon, the co-writer of “Golden” shared that while recording her part of the song at the studio, she saw a brief glimpse of “a grunge ghost.”

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As Britpop rose to prominence in England, grunge was taking hold in America.

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Related Words

• filth 
• grease 
• grime 
• soil 
• stain