grunge
1. A label for a genre of rock music said to encompass several popular bands from the late 1980s and early '90s. Grunge music is often characterized as guitar-driven and having lyrics that focus on alienation and social issues. Nirvana and Pearl Jam are the two bands usually considered as exemplars of grunge—even though they sound very different! Man, I'm so jealous that you were a teenager in the '90s, the golden age of grunge! Who is the poster child for '90s grunge? Kurt Cobain?
2. A fashion aesthetic characterized by an intentionally disheveled or scruffy appearance, typically featuring oversized or tattered clothing and long, unkempt hair. The characters in the TV show My So-Called Life wear some stereotypically grunge looks. A: "What's with all the flannel?" B: "Didn't you hear? Grunge is back, baby!" A: "Ha, check out this picture!" B:"Yep, there I am in my grunge phase—holey sweater, Doc Martens, and all."
3. slang Something unpleasant or foul. Go straight to the bathroom and wash that grunge off your hands now! A: "Why did you scream?" B: "Because I reached out for the light switch and put my hand in some sort of grunge! Gross, what is that?" Uh, there's grunge oozing out of the test tube—is that supposed to be happening?
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.