Grubby
adjective
Dirty or messy.
The child's hands were grubby after playing in the mud.
Often appears as...
- grubby hands
- grubby clothes
adjective
In poor condition because of heavy use or lack of care.
Her slippers were worn out and grubby.
Often appears as...
- grubby carpet
- grubby sofa
adjective
Unpleasant and not respectable.
He had spent his money on grubby gambling dens and cheap alcohol.
Often appears as...
- grubby dealings
- grubby secrets
adjective
Dirty or messy.
The child's hands were grubby after playing in the mud.
Often appears as...
- grubby hands
- grubby clothes
adjective
In poor condition because of heavy use or lack of care.
Her slippers were worn out and grubby.
Often appears as...
- grubby carpet
- grubby sofa
adjective
Unpleasant and not respectable.
He had spent his money on grubby gambling dens and cheap alcohol.
Often appears as...
- grubby dealings
- grubby secrets
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/2Physical Dirtiness
Typically describes something visibly soiled, like hands or clothes after physical activity.
Wipe off that grubby table before we eat.
Pro Tip 2/2Not Literal
Can be used metaphorically to express something is 'dirty' or 'unclean' in a non-physical way.
His reputation became grubby after the scandal.
Pro Tip 1/2Physical Dirtiness
Typically describes something visibly soiled, like hands or clothes after physical activity.
Wipe off that grubby table before we eat.
Pro Tip 2/2Not Literal
Can be used metaphorically to express something is 'dirty' or 'unclean' in a non-physical way.
His reputation became grubby after the scandal.
Pro Tip 1/2Physical Dirtiness
Typically describes something visibly soiled, like hands or clothes after physical activity.
Wipe off that grubby table before we eat.
Pro Tip 2/2Not Literal
Can be used metaphorically to express something is 'dirty' or 'unclean' in a non-physical way.
His reputation became grubby after the scandal.
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Video examples
The risky politics of...
But by forcing the radicals to actually help govern, it quickly exposed the fact that they weren't any good at the job, and it got them mixed up in all of the grubby compromises and petty humiliations that are part of everyday politics. And that hurt their image so badly that they've never recovered.
Video examples
Fighting Wildfires PIPE...
summer fittin my personality like a glove they're hardworking they love the outdoors they love the camaraderie of being with others and they have a taste for adventure they don't mind being dirty and grubby and smoky and going for days and days without a shower they have
Video examples
The risky politics of...
But by forcing the radicals to actually help govern, it quickly exposed the fact that they weren't any good at the job, and it got them mixed up in all of the grubby compromises and petty humiliations that are part of everyday politics. And that hurt their image so badly that they've never recovered.
Video examples
Fighting Wildfires PIPE...
summer fittin my personality like a glove they're hardworking they love the outdoors they love the camaraderie of being with others and they have a taste for adventure they don't mind being dirty and grubby and smoky and going for days and days without a shower they have
Example 1 of 2
Quote examples
Molly Ivins
American Journalist
If you grew up white before the civil rights movement anywhere in the South, all grown-ups lied. They'd tell you stuff like, 'Don't drink out of the colored fountain, dear, it's dirty.' In the white part of town, the white fountain was always covered with chewing gum and the marks of grubby kids' paws, and the colored fountain was always clean.
Quote examples
Daniel Lyons
American Writer
The world of online marketing, where HubSpot operates, though, has a reputation for being kind of grubby. Our customers include people who make a living bombarding people with email offers or gaming Google's search algorithm or figuring out which kind of misleading subject line is most likely to trick someone into opening a message.
Quote examples
Amanda Donohoe
English Actress
I read, go for walks and I love to garden. My hands are such a mess. People think I should have movie star hands, but they're just gardening ones. Always slightly grubby and with a bit of dirt under the fingernails.
Quote examples
Ben Nicholas
Australian Actor
Most of life is routine - dull and grubby, but routine is the momentum that keeps a man going. If you wait for inspiration you'll be standing on the corner after the parade is a mile down the street.
Quote examples
Julie Burchill
British Journalist
Fact is, famous people say fame stinks because they love it so - like a secret restaurant or holiday island they don't want the hoi polloi to get their grubby paws on.
Quote examples
Alexandra Stoddard
Author
I want to listen to Beethoven and Mozart. I want to read the best minds. I want to live with uplifting art. I don't want to live a grubby life.
Quote examples
India Eisley
American Actress
I always enjoy fight scenes and being grubby and bloody and not having to look good. I prefer that very much, as odd as that sounds.
Quote examples
Murray Rothbard
American Economist
The major reason for Keynes's rejection of communism was simply that he could scarcely identify with the grubby proletariat.
Quote examples
Robert Rinder
English Judge
There's something fundamentally grubby about the rich paying people to seek out cracks in the system to hide their money.
Quote examples
Tony Ferguson
American Athlete
I always said the 155-pound belt's been in so many grubby hands, man.
Quote examples
Molly Ivins
American Journalist
If you grew up white before the civil rights movement anywhere in the South, all grown-ups lied. They'd tell you stuff like, 'Don't drink out of the colored fountain, dear, it's dirty.' In the white part of town, the white fountain was always covered with chewing gum and the marks of grubby kids' paws, and the colored fountain was always clean.
Quote examples
Daniel Lyons
American Writer
The world of online marketing, where HubSpot operates, though, has a reputation for being kind of grubby. Our customers include people who make a living bombarding people with email offers or gaming Google's search algorithm or figuring out which kind of misleading subject line is most likely to trick someone into opening a message.
Quote examples
Amanda Donohoe
English Actress
I read, go for walks and I love to garden. My hands are such a mess. People think I should have movie star hands, but they're just gardening ones. Always slightly grubby and with a bit of dirt under the fingernails.
Quote examples
Ben Nicholas
Australian Actor
Most of life is routine - dull and grubby, but routine is the momentum that keeps a man going. If you wait for inspiration you'll be standing on the corner after the parade is a mile down the street.
Quote examples
Julie Burchill
British Journalist
Fact is, famous people say fame stinks because they love it so - like a secret restaurant or holiday island they don't want the hoi polloi to get their grubby paws on.
Quote examples
Alexandra Stoddard
Author
I want to listen to Beethoven and Mozart. I want to read the best minds. I want to live with uplifting art. I don't want to live a grubby life.
Quote examples
India Eisley
American Actress
I always enjoy fight scenes and being grubby and bloody and not having to look good. I prefer that very much, as odd as that sounds.
Quote examples
Murray Rothbard
American Economist
The major reason for Keynes's rejection of communism was simply that he could scarcely identify with the grubby proletariat.
Quote examples
Robert Rinder
English Judge
There's something fundamentally grubby about the rich paying people to seek out cracks in the system to hide their money.
Quote examples
Tony Ferguson
American Athlete
I always said the 155-pound belt's been in so many grubby hands, man.
Example 1 of 10
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