What does begrime mean?
To begrime a thing is to coat it thoroughly with dirt, soot, dust, or other grime, leaving it visibly filthy. The verb is transitive and typically appears in formal or literary prose, often in the passive form: a wall may be 'begrimed with soot', or a worker's hands 'begrimed by grease'. It derives simply from the prefix 'be-' attached to 'grime', the everyday noun for ingrained dirt, and its meaning follows transparently from that formation. Because the word describes literal physical soiling rather than metaphorical staining, it contrasts with near-synonyms like 'besmirch', which more often tarnishes a reputation. Writers reach for 'begrime' when they want an evocative, slightly old-fashioned way to convey accumulated filth — the grime of industry on a city's façades, of coal dust on a labourer's skin, or of years on a neglected object.
verbTo begrime something is to cover it with dirt, soot, or grime, making it filthy.
- To make dirty or grimy; to cover a surface with dirt, soot, or grime.
"Years of factory smoke had begrimed the cathedral's once-white stone façade."
"The miners emerged with faces begrimed by coal dust."
"Decades of exhaust fumes had begrimed the marble statues in the city square."
Begrime is what centuries of chimney smoke did to London's buildings — and it comes straight from 'grime', the very filth it spreads.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of begrime
Begrime was formed in English from the prefix 'be-', which here intensifies or converts the base into a verb meaning 'to cover with', combined with 'grime', the Middle English noun for ingrained dirt. The noun 'grime' itself has cognate forms in related Germanic languages, though its ultimate origin is somewhat obscure. The compound verb is attested from around the early seventeenth century and has remained a chiefly literary alternative to plainer verbs like 'soil' or 'dirty' ever since.
Related word forms
How begrime is actually used
Formal or literary register; rarely used in everyday speech, where 'cover in dirt' or 'blacken' is more common. Typically used in the passive or past participle ('begrimed').
Easily confused with begrime
Besmirch means to soil or tarnish, especially someone's reputation, whereas begrime refers literally to covering a physical surface with grime.
Beguile means to charm or deceive, while begrime means to make dirty despite the similar spelling.