grunge

[gruhnj] / grʌndʒ /

ADJECTIVE

dirt; rock music style of the early 1990s

Synonyms

STRONGEST

filth grease grime soil stain

STRONG

muck vileness

WEAK

punk schmutz

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It’s as if a bubbly Jonas Brothers single got infected by a toxic cloud of grunge.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

I think country music today is not far from what was happening with rock in the ’90s, except for grunge.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026

Vaguely grunge in vibe, the track overtly recalls second feminism’s suspicion of feminine adornment.

From Salon • Feb. 19, 2026

The instrument also paved the way to an aesthetics of electricity—feedback, distortion, fuzz, sheer volume—that led to such genres as heavy metal, punk, grunge and shoegaze.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

That girl was still going round from chair to chair selling beadwork, her hair curly, messy, grunge, but her face all smiles.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith