grungyadj.
/ˈɡrʌndʒi/ slang (chiefly North American).
Grimy, dirty; hence, of poor quality, unappealing; unpleasant, bad; untidy.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > inferiority or baseness > foulness or filth > [adjective]
blackOE
rotea1382
lousyc1386
unwashed?a1390
fulsomec1390
filthy?c1400
rankc1400
leprousa1425
sicka1425
miry1532
shitten?1545
murrain1575
obscene1597
vicious1597
ketty1607
putrid1628
putredinous1641
foede1657
fulsamic1694
carrion1826
foul1842
shitty1879
scabrous1880
scummy1932
pukey1933
shitting1950
gungy1962
grungy1965
shithouse1966
grot1967
bogging1973
the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > dirtiness > [adjective] > dirty and mean
ungoderlyc1400
sluttish?1529
squalid1596
scrubbing1603
sordid1611
snotty1681
frowzy1710
grub1719
seedy1725
unkempt1838
grubby1844
crumby1859
ratty1867
scruffy1871
scrutty1914
scummy1932
ribby1936
raunchy1937
sleazy1941
scroungy1948
manky1958
skanky1963
grungy1965
scungy1966
scuzzy1969
scrungy1974
skeevy1976
1965 N.Y. Times 15 Jan. 41/2 Liquor flows freely, jokes are the ‘grungiest’, fun and games abound.
1968–70 Current Slang (Univ. S. Dakota) 3–4 62 Grungy, bad, dirty, ugly, (like ugly day).—College students, both sexes, Minnesota.
1970 Washington Post 30 Sept. b14/1 The shopping center may be new, but the store will have the same grungy merchandise.
1974 A. Lurie War between Tates (1977) i. 31 She wouldn't admit she was pissed at being turned out of Her Own Living-Room, and how grungy we left the kitchen.
1976 New Yorker 8 Mar. 58/1 Some of the grungy details he adds are good.
1983 Sunday Times 30 Oct. (Colour Suppl.) 57/2 In 1973, 47th Street Photo moved one block east to its current location, a grungy walk-up at 67 West 47th Street.
1985 Dirt Bike Mar. 19/3 I would like to know who made those blasted white pants so popular—mine are splattered with oil specks and other grungy stains.
Derivatives
ˈgrunginess n. the quality or state of being grimy, unpleasant, or ‘grungy’.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > inferiority or baseness > foulness or filth > [noun]
fenc897
foulnessOE
foulhead1340
filthiness?1504
lepry1526
fedity1542
leprosy?1555
fulsomeness1563
disdain1590
obscenitya1618
sewer1647
fetidness1704
putridity1823
fetidity1829
disgustingness1851
feculence1860
grunginess1978
the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > dirtiness > [noun] > and meanness
squalor1621
sorditude1623
sordidness1656
squalidity1668
squalidness1727
frowziness1729
sordor1823
seediness1832
fluffiness1860
grubbiness1866
crumbiness1949
raunch1952
scruffiness1974
grunginess1978
scuzziness1980
grottiness1984
1978 Fanfare (Toronto) 31 May 3 The Inheritance, with its emphasis on the grunginess of human nature..was probably seen as somewhat scandalous in Catholic Italy.
1986 New Yorker 27 Jan. 86/2 Harry Dean Stanton has the right tequila-swigging grunginess (except for his sparkling-white teeth).
Draft additions May 2001
Of, designating, or characteristic of grunge music or its performers or followers; of or characteristic of the grunge subculture.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > music > type of music > pop music > [adjective] > qualities of pop
metal?1518
anthemic1890
Afro-Latin-American1900
sun-kissed1907
heavy1937
Latin American1937
Memphis1938
sun-drenched1943
indie1945
rockish1955
hardcore1957
doo-wop1958
middle of the road1959
Latin1962
straight-ahead1964
easy listening1965
Motown1965
funky1967
post-rock1967
rocky1967
rock-out1968
funkadelic1969
funked out1970
grungy1971
punk1971
grunge1972
Philly1972
dub1973
drum and bass1975
disco funky1976
punkish1976
reggaefied1976
Britpop1977
post-punk1977
anarcho-punk1979
rap1980
trash rock1980
crunchy1981
industrial1981
New Romantic1981
rockist1981
garage1982
hip-hop1982
thrashy1982
urban1982
Gothic1983
hip-hopping1983
beat-box1984
lo-fi1986
technoid1986
hip-house1987
acid house1988
new jack1988
old school1988
techno1988
baggy1990
banging1990
gangsta1990
filthy1991
handbaggy1991
nu skool1991
sampladelic1991
junglist1993
1971 L. Bangs in Who put Bomp! Fall 60 Churning out hot primal rock 'n' roll that thundered right back to the very first grungy chords and straight ahead to the fuzztone subways of the future.
1987 St. Petersburg (Florida) Times (Nexis) 31 Mar. d3 A snotty, grungy garage band..renowned for its raw sound and the sheer unpredictability of its shows.
1989 New Musical Express 25 Feb. 4 Grungy Stooges-influenced rockers.
1993 Time Off (Brisbane) 21 Apr. 15/3 They are loud, distorted, grungy and original and obviously well into enjoying what they play.
2001 Evening Tel. (Coventry) (Electronic ed.) 31 Mar. The magazine wanted us to give them a more grungy, edgy look.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1989; most recently modified version published online March 2019).
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adj.1965