grubby

1
[ gruhb-ee ]
/ ˈgrʌb i /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR grubby ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, grub·bi·er, grub·bi·est.

dirty; slovenly: children with grubby faces and sad eyes.
infested with or affected by grubs or larvae.
contemptible: grubby political tricks.

Origin of grubby

1
First recorded in 1605–15; grub + -y1

OTHER WORDS FROM grubby

grub·bi·ly, adverb grub·bi·ness, noun

Words nearby grubby

grub hoe, grub saw, grub screw, grub street, grubber, grubby, gruber, grubstake, grubstreet, grubworm, grudge

Words related to grubbiness

starvation, filth, impoverishment, decay, destitution, squalor, indigence, uncleanness, wretchedness, filthiness, poorness, foulness, uncleanliness, seediness

Example sentences from the Web for grubbiness

  • That first bathe seemed to wash away all the heat and smoke and grubbiness of dear old London.

    Stories of the Saints by Candle-Light |Vera C. Barclay

  • It was M.D. who sent me there by scolding me into realization of my grubbiness four years ago; I want to have my honeymoon there.

    Jane Journeys On |Ruth Comfort Mitchell

British Dictionary definitions for grubbiness

grubby
/ (ˈɡrʌbɪ) /

adjective -bier or -biest

dirty; slovenly
mean; beggarly
infested with grubs

Derived forms of grubby

grubbily, adverb grubbiness, noun