grimy

English

Alternative forms

• grimey

Etymology

From grime +‎ -y.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹaɪmi/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Adjective

grimy (comparative grimier, superlative grimiest)

1. Stained or covered with grime.
   • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

     Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady. She stood for a moment holding her skirt above the grimy steps, […] , and the light of the reflector fell full upon her.

2. (music) From the urban musical genre called grime.
   • 2009 November 27, “Jimi Hendrix's Voodoo Child has 'best guitar riff'”, in BBC:

     Riffs from older songs seem to be more popular, as only two from the past decade made it into the top 20. They were Muse's Plug In Baby, at 11, and The White Stripes' grimy Seven Nation Army at 15.

3. (slang) Morally corrupt, malicious, vile, or selfish; base or dirty; rotten.

   When I was 18 I was grimy af. I wouldn't share my food with you even if you were starving and about to die.

4. (slang, hip-hop, of a beat or song) Darkly atmospheric; having affinities with the style of the East Coast hip hop of the 90s, especially that of New York.
   • 2014 June 6, Scott Miller, “A Few Thoughts on Pro Era's 'The Shift'”, in The Niche Cache‎, archived from the original on Febuary 4, 2024:

     Pro Era are a group of young rappers (and artists) straight from the streets of Brooklyn, New York. They're headed by Joey Bada$$ who is definitely the most well known figure but as a group they stand alone as some of the top emcees and producers coming through. They've been hailed as the return of hip hop, especially the gritty, grimey New York hip hop we all know and love

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