grimy

adjective

ˈgrī-mē How to pronounce grimy (audio)
grimier; grimiest
Synonyms of grimy
: full of or covered with grime : dirty
wiped his grimy hands
griminess noun

Synonyms of grimy

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of grimy in a Sentence

this mirror is so grimy you can barely see your reflection in it
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The song was a frenetic evolution of Brooklyn drill—the grimy, bone-rattling subgenre of hip-hop popularized by Bobby Shmurda—and its instrumental by the British producer 808Melo gave it a brash East London bounce. — Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026 Wipe the solution off with water and a microfiber cloth, scrubbing at the grimy parts. — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 26 Aug. 2026 Soap residue that’s left behind can create a sticky surface that attracts dust, dirt, and airborne oils, leading to some pretty grimy and hard-to-remove surfaces. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2026 With a haunting soundtrack and precise, brooding cinematography, Argento creates a chillingly grimy atmosphere that pervades every frame. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grimy

Word History

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grimy was in 1612

Rhymes for grimy

See All Rhymes for grimy

Browse Nearby Words

grimthorpe
grimy
grin
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grimy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grimy. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All