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 influx of money into Seattle in the 1990s made it a great place for bank robberies, as several people note, and also made it fertile ground for punk and grunge movements.

From New York Times

The current tour offers a bit of a fresh look for the band, which in keeping with Seattle’s grunge spirit, has long favored a more austere stage production.

From Seattle Times

And not just Young, but also Crazy Horse, his longtime, magnificently shambolic backing band who more or less helped invent both grunge and the modern jam band.

From New York Times

As the mood shifts, a noodling electric guitar kicks in and the gang unconsciously assembles into poses that could be on a grunge album cover.

From Los Angeles Times

The American musician rose to fame as the lead singer for the seminal grunge '90s band Nirvana.

From BBC

Related Words

• filth
• grease
• grime
• soil
• stain