Meaning & use
grungy
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Dirty, worn and unpleasant to look at or touch, as if neglected for a long time.
Grammar: Goes before a noun (a grungy kitchen) or after a verb (the carpet looked grungy).
Patterns
- look grungy
- feel grungy
The motel room had a grungy carpet and a stained sink.
After three days of hiking, I felt grungy and desperate for a shower.
He lived above a grungy bar on the edge of town.
adjectivecomparableapproving
Deliberately untidy and casual in style, in the manner of grunge music and fashion.
Grammar: Used mainly before a noun; it can be admiring when talking about clothes or music.
Patterns
- a grungy look
The band had a loud, grungy sound that filled small clubs.
She paired the dress with grungy boots for a rough, relaxed look.
The photos have a grungy texture that suits the album.
Word forms
| comparative | grungier |
|---|---|
| superlative | grungiest |
Common combinations
- grungy apartment
- They shared a grungy apartment with a broken heater.
- grungy clothes
- I changed out of my grungy clothes after the move.
- look grungy
- The old bus station looks grungy even after cleaning.
- feel grungy
- I feel grungy after that long flight.
- grungy bathroom
- The campground's grungy bathroom made me want to go home.
Synonyms and how they differ
- grimy
- Grimy stresses a visible coating of dirt, whereas grungy also hints at general shabbiness.
- seedy
- Seedy describes places or people that seem disreputable and run-down, not simply dirty.
- scruffy
- Scruffy is gentler and refers to untidy appearance, often of people or pets, rather than filth.
- filthy
- Filthy is much stronger and means extremely dirty, with no suggestion of style.
Opposites
Word family
- grunge noun
- dirt, or a music and fashion style that is deliberately scruffy
- grunginess noun
- the quality of being dirty or shabby
- grungily adverb
- in a dirty or scruffy way, rarely used
Commonly confused: grungy or grungey?
grungy vs grungey
This spelling is incorrect; the word is spelled grungy, dropping the e.
Practice
Maya called the hostel kitchen grungy. What did she mean?
Choose one answer.
Grungy describes dirty, shabby surroundings. Small, noisy or peaceful are not part of its meaning, even though a run-down place could also be crowded.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “grungy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.