What does grime mean?
Grime is a mass noun for dirt, soot, and other stubborn residue that makes a surface look or feel dirty. It is especially common in descriptions of neglected buildings, machinery, cookware, windows, and other places where accumulated filth is visible. “Covered in grime” and “thick with grime” present the substance as widespread; the word can also describe figurative filth, such as corruption or moral degradation, in political, social, or commercial contexts. The related verb “grime,” now somewhat formal or literary, means to make something dirty or coat it with filth. Although grime sounds like grim, its meaning is not grimness, severity, or bleakness. Grime is useful because it conveys both physical dirt and a strong implication of neglect, decay, or contamination. It is generally uncountable in modern use, and its plural is uncommon. The term is standard in both British and American English, though its figurative use is somewhat more literary than its literal use.
Dirty matter, especially soot or ingrained filth that makes a surface dirty; by extension, morally or socially corrupting conditions.
"A thick layer of grime covered the kitchen tiles."
Usually an uncountable mass noun; figurative senses are common in discussions of politics, society, and commerce.
To make dirty or cover with grime.
"The windows were grimed with years of smoke and dust."
Usually transitive and less common than the noun, with a somewhat literary tone.
The plural is rare; grime is normally used as an uncountable mass noun.
"The cleaning crew removed the grimes from the oven racks."
Grime gives neglect a name: it is not merely dirt, but the visible evidence of filth and decay.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does grime come from?
The earliest known use of grime in English dates to the early 17th century. Its ultimate origin is uncertain, so a definite source or related language cannot be assigned with confidence. The established modern sense refers to dirty, often sooty matter on surfaces and, by extension, to figurative moral or social pollution.
Related word forms
How grime is actually used
The noun is normally used as an uncountable mass noun, and its plural is uncommon. The verb is less common than the noun and is somewhat literary; it is typically transitive.
Easily confused with grime
Grime means dirt or filth, whereas grim means harshly stern, bleak, or forbidding.