grubby

¹

[ gruhb-ee ]

adjective

, grub·bi·er, grub·bi·est.

1. dirty; slovenly:

   children with grubby faces and sad eyes.

   Synonyms: bedraggled, filthy, messy, unkempt, grimy

2. infested with or affected by grubs or larvae.
3. contemptible:

   grubby political tricks.

grubby

²

[ gruhb-ee ]

noun

, plural grub·bies.

1. a small sculpin, Myxocephalus aenaeus, inhabiting waters off the coast of New England.

grubby

/ ˈɡrʌbɪ /

adjective

1. dirty; slovenly
2. mean; beggarly
3. infested with grubs

Derived Forms

• ˈgrubbily, adverb
• ˈgrubbiness, noun

Other Words From

• grubbi·ly adverb
• grubbi·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of grubby¹

First recorded in 1605–15; grub + -y ¹

Origin of grubby²

Origin uncertain

Example Sentences

Most recently, Wilson wrote Thursday that her father is a “delusional and grubby little control freak who hasn’t matured as a person for 38 years.”

From Los Angeles Times

When Tommy Richman moved to Los Angeles in 2022 — moved back here, that is, after an unsuccessful earlier attempt led to a retreat to his mom’s basement in Woodbridge, Va. — he lived in a grubby hostel in Little Tokyo that cost him $26 a night.

From Los Angeles Times

That his tenure has curdled into absurdist tales of grubby graft and self-aggrandizing travel that a high-end credit-card rewards program could have furnished is a reflection of an incredible paradox—the great expositor of tough-on-crime politics allegedly did so much petty crime that he might not make it to the end of his first term of office.

From Slate

Putting her nudie photos in the pantheon of great art isn't arguing for sexual freedom for all, but framing it as a privilege of the upper echelons of society who can be trusted to handle such provocations, unlike the grubby commoners.

From Salon

Heaven help the grubby finger that even attempts to graze their wings.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• filthy
• grimy
• grungy
• messy
• seedy
• shabby
• soiled
• squalid
• unkempt