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Definition of grungy

grungy

/ˈɡrʌn.dʒi/
grun · gy
Adverb:grungily
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grungy Lexical Profile

grungy Game Scores & Validity

• adjective

1

Dirty, grimy, and in a state of shabby disrepair; unkempt or squalid.

Example

"After hiking through the muddy trails all weekend, we returned to the cabin in our grungy clothes."

2

Relating to or characteristic of grunge music or its associated fashion style, featuring distorted guitar sounds and thrift-store clothing such as flannel shirts and ripped jeans.

Example

"The band's new album revives the raw, grungy guitar riffs of early 1990s alternative rock."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for grungy
Antonyms
View all antonyms for grungy

• Rhymes for grungy

• Nearby Words

grumpy
grunge
grunginess
grungy
grunion
grunt
gruyere

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in American teen slang in the 1960s, probably as a blend of 'grubby' and 'dingy', before giving rise to the back-formation 'grunge' and later becoming associated with the 1990s Seattle rock music movement.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Grungy. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/grungy
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