1
as in filthy
not clean
after playing outside, the kids came in grungy and in need of a good bath
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
even though this grungy sweatshirt is falling apart, it's still my favorite
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grungy
Realism is also a big part of the film’s grungy and unflashy aesthetic.
—
Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2025
The new crime comedy Caught Stealing unfolds in the year 1998, traveling across a distinctly grungy New York City—all dingy subway platforms and drab Chinatown apartments.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 29 Aug. 2025
The name was a play on the popular Lollapalooza music festival and perfectly captured the grungy, alternative, and chaotic culture of the ECW brand.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
The metal eyelet details add a grungy touch, while the front of the foot features a slight platform, and all of this balances atop a five-inch heel.
—Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for grungy
Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2025
The new crime comedy Caught Stealing unfolds in the year 1998, traveling across a distinctly grungy New York City—all dingy subway platforms and drab Chinatown apartments.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 29 Aug. 2025
The name was a play on the popular Lollapalooza music festival and perfectly captured the grungy, alternative, and chaotic culture of the ECW brand.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
The metal eyelet details add a grungy touch, while the front of the foot features a slight platform, and all of this balances atop a five-inch heel.
—Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for grungy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grungy
Adjective
-
Jackson Lamb has long, greasy hair and a pot belly over which hangs a filthy old trench coat.—
Barbara Ellis,
Denver Post,
20 Oct. 2025
-
On the other end, Ja’Marr Chase is coming off an absolutely filthy touchdown grab last Sunday.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Forgetting Derry’s communal traumas is as much a part of the town’s firmament as the scenic canals, the nearby Air Force base where Charlotte’s hubby Leroy (Jovan Adepo) has been newly posted, and the dilapidated house at 29 Neibolt Street.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
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The dilapidated wooden trim and sagging porticos were spruced up a few years ago after preservationists complained to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, but the upstairs windows reveal glimpses of peeling paint, crumbling plaster, and collapsing ceilings inside.—
Kim Velsey,
Curbed,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This is not a dusty collection or hodgepodge of Gold Rush artifacts placed around a xeriscape.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The old shelves with their dusty cans were gone, replaced by three wooden pillars, each with a small platform at chest height.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Those plans were later abandoned during the pandemic and the house joined Denver’s neglected and derelict building list in 2024.—
Justin Wingerter,
Denver Post,
8 Oct. 2025
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Same premise as the exterior, but even more important: Don’t buy a car with a neglected interior.—
Jimmy Camp,
Oc Register,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The land, unfenced, abuts a bald blackened hillside that must be public land.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Aug. 2025
-
In its time open, fueled by fans of its blackened mahi and buttery lobster rolls, owner Mike Smith has expanded his footprint, moving into a larger stall in the popular food hall — which has allowed for a menu expansion, as well.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
Orlando Sentinel,
6 Dec. 2022
Adjective
-
Leave it on dirty spots for just a minute before rubbing residue away with a soft cloth.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Oct. 2025
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Williams has shown the ability to break some long runs and pick up the dirty yards.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The stained glass traces a hierarchy from the current dean to the Crown and then to God.—
Rick Burton,
Sportico.com,
6 Oct. 2025
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Wood stained baseboards may need a gentler cleaning approach, such as Murphy’s Oil Soap, to protect the finish.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In tandem came the flagging energy, muddy cognition, clogged chi.—
Rowan Jacobsen,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Behind us the muddy brown waters of the Tchoutacabouffa River roll towards what until recently was commonly understood to be the Gulf of Mexico.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grungy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grungy. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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