Pronunciation: /ˈɡrʌbi/

Definitions of grubby

adjective dirty or untidy in appearance

Example Sentences

A1 The grubby dog rolled around in the mud.

A2 The children's grubby hands left marks on the walls.

B1 She refused to stay in the grubby motel room.

B2 The grubby appearance of the restaurant turned customers away.

C1 The detective found a grubby note hidden under the bed.

C2 Despite its grubby exterior, the old bookstore was filled with rare treasures.

adverb in a dirty or untidy manner

Example Sentences

A1 The little boy's hands were grubby from playing in the dirt.

A2 She wiped the grubby table with a damp cloth.

B1 The waitress gave us grubby looks when we asked for extra ketchup.

B2 The grubby street urchin begged for food outside the fancy restaurant.

C1 The grubby conditions of the prison cell were deplorable.

C2 The grubby politician's corruption was finally exposed by the media.

Examples of grubby in a Sentence

formal The grubby appearance of the suspect's clothing indicated he had been involved in illegal activities.

informal I don't want to eat at that grubby diner, the tables look dirty.

slang Her ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend is always posting grubby pictures on social media.

figurative The politician's grubby dealings were exposed by the investigative journalists.

Grammatical Forms of grubby

past tense

grubbied

plural

grubbies

comparative

grubbier

superlative

grubbiest

present tense

grubs

future tense

will grubby

perfect tense

have grubbied

continuous tense

is grubbying

singular

grubby

positive degree

grubby

infinitive

to grubby

gerund

grubbing

participle

grubbied

Origin and Evolution of grubby

First Known Use: 1601 year
Language of Origin: Middle English
Story behind the word: The word 'grubby' is believed to have originated from the Middle English word 'grubbig' which means dirty or grimy.
Evolution of the word: Over time, 'grubby' has retained its original meaning of being dirty or untidy, but it has also taken on a figurative sense to describe something that is unpleasant or unattractive.