Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

schmutzy

American  
[shmoot-see] / ˈʃmʊt si /
Also schmutzig

adjective

Slang.
schmutzier, schmutziest

  1. dirty; grimy.

Etymology

Origin of schmutzy

First recorded in 1965–70; schmutz + -y 1, as translation of Yiddish shmutsik or German schmutzig

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.

And then you notice there's a little bit of dark schmutzy material.

From Salon • Jul. 12, 2023

Crisp or crinkled, factory-fresh or schmutzy, they’re ubiquitous, just visual white noise.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 31, 2020

But there remained schmutzy regions that simply could not be un-schmutzed.

From Slate • Apr. 21, 2014

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.