dingy

adjective

din·​gy ˈdin-jē 

dingier; dingiest

1

: dirty, unclean

dingy fingernails

2

: shabby, squalid

a dingy hotel room

dingily

ˈdin-jə-lē 

adverb

dinginess

ˈdin-jē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• bedraggled
• befouled
• begrimed
• bemired
• besmirched
• black
• blackened
• cruddy
• dirty
• draggled
• dusty
• filthy
• foul
• grimy
• grotty [chiefly British]
• grubby
• grungy
• mucky
• muddy
• nasty
• smudged
• smutty
• soiled
• sordid
• stained
• sullied
• unclean
• uncleanly

Examples of dingy in a Sentence

He's been staying in a dingy motel.

the bed sheets were pretty dingy so we threw them in the laundry pile

Recent Examples on the Web

Do not use more detergent than necessary, as detergent residue can lend the bag a dingy appearance. —Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Oct. 2024

Confined to the dingy basement, the motley crew doesn’t get much respect, but their dynamic is hilariously relatable for anyone just trying to make it through the day in a dead-end office job. —Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 27 Sep. 2024

Or swap a dingy old pullover for this oversized crewneck sweatshirt that’s equally comfortable but far more polished. —Clara McMahon, People.com, 5 Oct. 2024

Using too much detergent can leave the backpack with soap residue, which lends a dingy appearance to the bag. 3. —Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1691, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

dingy

adjective

din·​gy ˈdin-jē 

dingier; dingiest

: rather dark and dirty : not fresh or clean

a dingy room

dingy colors

dingily

-jə-lē 

adverb

dinginess

-jē-nəs 

noun