grubby (adj.)

"dirty," by 1845, from grub (n.) in a sense of "dirty child" (who presumably got that way from digging in earth) + -y (2). Earlier it was used in a sense of "stunted, dwarfish" (1610s) and "infested with grubs" (1725). Related: Grubbily; grubbiness.

Entries linking to grubby

grub (n.)

"larva of an insect," early 15c., perhaps from grub (v.) on the notion of "digging insect," or from the possibly unrelated Middle English grub "dwarfish fellow" (c. 1400). Meaning "dull drudge" is 1650s. The slang sense of "food" is first recorded 1650s, said to be from birds eating grubs, but also often linked with bub "drink."

-y (2)

adjective suffix, "full of or characterized by," from Old English -ig, from Proto-Germanic *-iga- (source also of Dutch, Danish, German -ig, Gothic -egs), from PIE -(i)ko-, adjectival suffix, cognate with elements in Greek -ikos, Latin -icus (see -ic). Originally added to nouns in Old English; used from 13c. with verbs, and by 15c. even with other adjectives (for example crispy).

grungy (adj.)

"sloppy, shabby," 1965, American English slang, perhaps based on, or blended from, grubby and dingy.

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Definitions of grubby

grubby (adj.)

infested with grubs;

grubby (adj.)

thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot;

grubby little fingers

Synonyms: begrimed / dingy / grimy / grungy / raunchy

grubby (n.)

small sculpin of the coast of New England;

Synonyms: Myxocephalus aenaeus

From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near grubby

growse

growth

groyne

grub

grubber

grubby

grubelsucht

grub-stake

Grub-street

grudge

gruel