adj

grubby

GRUH-bee

Grubby (adj) means Dirty or unwashed, especially in a grimy, unpleasant way. Example: “The kids came in from the garden with grubby hands.”

adj

Dirty or unwashed, especially in a grimy, unpleasant way.

"The kids came in from the garden with grubby hands."

Morally sordid or disreputable.

"The whole deal had a grubby feel to it."

How to use grubby

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDirty and grimy, or shady and disreputable when talking about behavior or deals.

Common pairings

grubby hands grubby little secret

Word forms

grubbier comparative, grubbies plural, grubbiest superlative

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The kids came in from the garden with _____ hands.

Etymology

From grub plus -y, originally suggesting something infested with grubs, later coming to mean simply dirty.

Rhymes for grubby

cubby tubby hubby bubby chubby stubby

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Frequently asked questions

What does “grubby” mean?

The word “grubby” means dirty or unwashed, especially in a grimy, unpleasant way. In plain terms, dirty and grimy, or shady and disreputable when talking about behavior or deals.

How do you pronounce “grubby”?

“Grubby” is pronounced GRUH-bee (/ˈɡɹʌbi/ in IPA).

How do you use “grubby” in a sentence?

Here is “grubby” used in a sentence: “The kids came in from the garden with grubby hands.”

What part of speech is “grubby”?

“Grubby” is an adjective.

How many meanings does “grubby” have?

“Grubby” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: dirty or unwashed, especially in a grimy, unpleasant way.