grime

[ grahym ]

noun

1. dirt, soot, or other filthy matter, especially adhering to or embedded in a surface.
2. a style of music influenced by rap, ragga, etc., and characterized by lyrics and imagery that reference the dark side of urban life.

verb (used with object)

, grimed, grim·ing.

1. to cover with dirt; make very dirty; soil.

grime

/ ɡraɪm /

noun

1. dirt, soot, or filth, esp when thickly accumulated or ingrained
2. a genre of music originating in the East End of London and combining elements of garage, hip-hop, rap, and jungle

verb

1. tr to make dirty or coat with filth

Derived Forms

• ˈgrimy, adjective
• ˈgriminess, noun

Other Words From

• un·grimed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of grime¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English grim; apparently special use of Old English grīma “mask,” to denote layer of dust; compare dialectal Dutch grijm

Word History and Origins

Origin of grime¹

C15: from Middle Dutch grime; compare Flemish grijm, Old English grīma mask

Example Sentences

As days went by and dirt, dog waste and grime piled up in the Produce Hotel in Skid Row, Jermaine Staley broke into the janitorial closet.

From Los Angeles Times

"Chuck in Skepta, chuck in Jme – you need to learn about grime because you need to understand the roots. If you don’t know the roots, you’re not going to grow."

From BBC

In the first night of its kind for the chippy, it hosted local grime and garage MC Window Kid and British DJ Nathan Dawe.

From BBC

Major labels weren’t investing in grime - despite hopes they would after Dizzee Rascal's debut record Boy In Da Corner took off the previous year.

From BBC

Every time the grime artist’s debut single Pow! blasted through speakers in UK nightclubs in the early 2000s, there was chaos on the dancefloor.

From BBC

Related Words

• dust
• filth
• muck
• soot