grubby

Everyday

1. Rather dirty, usually from mud, sweat or touching things. tree →
2. (informal) Not quite honest or decent: a grubby little trick. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life «grubby» describes children's hands, knees, clothes and old books; adults say «wash those grubby hands before dinner». In hygiene lessons it reminds us to wash hands to remove germs. In stories it can describe a dishonest deal or a poor, dirty place. Phrases: grubby hands, grubby little fingers, grubby clothes.

Examples

• Wash your grubby hands before you eat! tree →
• His school shirt was grubby after playtime. tree →
• The library book had grubby fingerprints on it. tree →
• The grubbiest kid on the team scored the winning goal. tree →
• The car was grubby after the muddy road. tree →
• It was a grubby trick to cheat in the quiz. tree →

Note

Comparative: grubbier, grubbiest (y → i). From «grub» (dirt, or an insect larva). Milder than «filthy». Informal word.