ˈgrəbē, -bi adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: grub (II) + -y
1. chiefly dialect
a. : small and incompletely formed
b. : dwarfish , stunted
2. : infested with fly maggots
3. : dirty, shabby, or slovenly in condition or appearance : grimy , mean
their grubby little fingers — Roderick Finlayson
colorless face, hair in curlers, clothes as grubby as the fog — Edith C. Rivett
streets that looked as parched and grubby as I was — Thomas Wood †1950
felt particularly grubby and unshaven — Robert Keable
4. : low, sordid, or ignoble in character : base , contemptible
the pamphleteer's grubby motives — Albert Lynd
a grubby lot of tax collectors, mortgage makers, moneylenders — J.R.Newman
a grubby man of pleasure — C.J.Rolo