chiefly British

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of grotty The show, which chronicled two spiraling roommates in a grotty London flat who invariably do exactly the wrong thing, is not for the faint of heart. Natasha Frost, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2025 The assault took place on the grottiest of vessels, manned by violent criminals who had been banished into deep space. Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2025 In a stark contrast to its predecessor, the pop star’s EP tracks chronicled the sordid and grotty bits of celebrity. Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2025 The assault took place on the grottiest of vessels, manned by violent criminals who had been banished into deep space. Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2025 In a stark contrast to its predecessor, the pop star’s EP tracks chronicled the sordid and grotty bits of celebrity. Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2025 Bloober has translated the past as one might a literary classic, illuminating and modernizing the grottiest game to ever grace the PlayStation 2. Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2024 The closest match to the Grand Old Opry is Magic City, the famed strip club at the grotty end of south downtown. George Chidi, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2022 The film is the story of Robert (Daniel Zolghadri), who wants to reject the suburban comforts of his upbringing for a grotty world as an aspiring underground cartoonist. Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grotty
Adjective
  • Aurangzeb imprisoned his ailing father in 1658 and defeated his brother the year after, before forcibly parading him in chains on a filthy elephant on the streets of Delhi.
    Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 18 Apr. 2025
  • The network has ordered Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service, which will see the celebrity chef go undercover to rescue America’s filthiest restaurants.
    Peter White, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Seen from there, the sandstone pylons of Luxor’s temple rose to an open sky, eternally patient in the dusty, pearlescent light.
    Chris Wallace, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Down a dusty street in Jereif West, Fatima Bahlawi, 20 months old, lay wailing in her mother’s arms, waving limbs that were thin as sticks.
    Declan Walsh, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The two groups meet on a muddy basketball court, and fight.
    Kayti Burt, Time, 26 Apr. 2025
  • She’s worn her pair over muddy trails, through waterfalls, and more.
    Sara Coughlin, SELF, 24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In its time open, fueled by fans of its blackened mahi and buttery lobster rolls, owner Mike Smith has expanded his footprint, moving into a larger stall in the popular food hall — which has allowed for a menu expansion, as well.
    Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Dec. 2022
  • There are no glamorous furnishings — just a French window, its blackened panes suggesting the dark of night.
    Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2022
Adjective
  • Tom Hardy stars in the neo-noir crime thriller as a corrupt detective named Walker, who shoots, punches, and drop-kicks his way through an entire criminal underworld to rescue the estranged son of dirty politician Lawrence Beaumont (Forest Whitaker).
    Mike Miller, EW.com, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Nearly every dish/pan in the place was dirty multiple times a day.
    Michael Nied, People.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Mingyang took the center of the Octagon from the beginning, landed hard leg kicks, and opened a nasty gash on Smith’s forehead with a step-in elbow.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
  • With a triple-digit heater and a nasty slider, he’s always been a tantalizing talent.
    Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • This Trevisani has a bushy black mustache, an olive complexion, and a broad forehead.
    Domenico Starnone, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Belair seems to have subtly leaned into her unprecedented turn by wearing black during recent shows.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Grotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grotty. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

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