Grimy Meaning, Examples & Usage Guide

Meaning 1：covered with ingrained dirt (grimy)

grimy 🔊

/ˈɡraɪmi/

adj.

Covered with dirt or grime, making something look very unclean.

Close-up of grimy child hands covered in dirt on tablecloth

covered with ingrained dirt 🔊

➕

/ˈkʌvərd wɪð ɪnˈɡreɪnd dɜːrt/

adj.

Describes a surface that is thickly coated with dirt, grease, or soot, often in a way that is difficult to clean.

📁 Category：Objects & Materials 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old English 'grima' meaning mask or soot, plus '-y' forming an adjective.

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine 'grime' + 'y' — a surface with thick, sticky dirt that feels like a grim mask.

📖 Example

After helping his dad fix the bicycle in the garage, the boy's white T-shirt turned grimy with black grease stains. 🔊 After helping his dad fix the bicycle in the garage, the boy's white T-shirt turned grimy with black grease stains.

🔗 Collocations

grimy hands – Hands covered in dirt or grime

grimy windows – Windows coated with dust and soot

grimy workshop – A workshop with accumulated oil and dirt

🔄 Synonyms

dirty (adj.) – Covered or marked with an unclean substance.

filthy (adj.) – Extremely dirty, often disgustingly so.

sooty (adj.) – Covered with or resembling soot.

🚫 Antonyms

clean (adj.) – Free from dirt, marks, or stains.

spotless (adj.) – Completely clean; without any mark or stain.

pristine (adj.) – In its original condition; unspoiled and clean.

🌱 Derivatives

grime (n.) – Dirt ingrained on the surface of something.

griminess (n.) – The state or quality of being grimy.

begrime (v.) – To make dirty or sooty.

📖 Cultural Story

Originating from Old English 'grima' (a mask or soot), the word evolved through Middle English to describe surfaces covered with ingrained dirt. In modern usage, it often appears in urban contexts (grimy subway, grimy workshop).