What does guttery mean?
Guttery is an adjective meaning dirty, grimy, shabby, or otherwise dirty and run-down. It is especially associated with streets and neglected buildings, but it can also describe a person's appearance or the general atmosphere of a place. The word is more evocative and disparaging than dirty alone: a guttery street suggests not merely scattered rubbish but dampness, decay, poor maintenance, and possibly poverty. In figurative use, descriptions of society, politics, or entertainment as guttery imply contempt and moral degradation. Although recognized in both British and American English, it is somewhat literary and less frequent than everyday alternatives such as filthy, grimy, or shabby. Understanding the word is useful because it condenses several related impressions—dirt, disrepair, unpleasantness, and social neglect—into a compact and forceful description.
adjectiveDirty or grimy, especially in a way associated with streets or neglected buildings; shabby and run-down.
- Dirty, grimy, or shabby, especially of a street, building, place, or appearance.
"We hurried through the narrow, guttery streets of the old quarter."
"The house had a guttery, neglected look, with rainwater staining its wooden porch."
"Her description of the neighbourhood as guttery conveyed both filth and social decay."
Guttery carries the image of a gutter with it: whatever it describes feels filthy, neglected, and distinctly down-at-heel.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does guttery come from?
Guttery was formed in English by adding the adjective-forming suffix -y to gutter. The word gutter is recorded in Middle English and derives from Old French, ultimately from Latin gutta. At the Latin level it is related to forms represented in modern English by gout, although the words have developed entirely unrelated meanings.
Related word forms
How guttery is actually used
Guttery is relatively uncommon and strongly negative. It is most often used of physical surroundings, buildings, or appearances and can suggest poverty, neglect, or moral decay as well as simple dirt.