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Definition of grubby adjective from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

     

    grubby

     adjective
    adjective
    NAmE//ˈɡrʌbi//
     
    (grubbier, grubbiest)
     
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  1. 1fairly dirty, usually because it has not been washed or cleaned grubby hands/clothes Thesaurusdirty
    • dusty
    • filthy
    • muddy
    • soiled
    • grubby
    • stained
    These words all describe someone or something that is not clean.
    • dirty not clean; covered with dust, soil, mud, oil, etc:Put your dirty clothes in the hamper.
    • dusty full of dust; covered with dust:shelves full of dusty books
    • filthy very dirty and unpleasant:It's absolutely filthy in here.
    • muddy full of or covered in mud:Don't you come in here with those muddy boots on!
    • soiled (somewhat formal) dirty, especially with waste from the body:soiled diapers
    • grubby (somewhat informal) somewhat dirty, usually because it has not been washed:He hoped she wouldn't notice his grubby fingernails.
    • stained (often in compounds) covered with stains; marked with a stain (= a dirty mark that is difficult to remove):a pair of paint-stained jeans
    Patterns
    • dirty/dusty/filthy/muddy/soiled/grubby/stained clothes
    • dirty/dusty/filthy/grubby hands
    • a dirty/dusty/filthy room
    • to get dirty/dusty/filthy/muddy/stained
  2. 2unpleasant because it involves activities that are dishonest or immoral synonym sordid a grubby scandal
 
noun [uncountable]
See grubby in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary