ENGLISH
REFERENCE

grunge

n. uncountable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈɡɹəndʒ// UK //ɡɹˈʌndʒ// grunge Informal

n. a style of rock music from the 1990s with a heavy, dirty sound. It also refers to a fashion style that uses messy, loose, or worn-out clothes.

n. a subgenre of alternative rock characterized by distorted guitar sounds and angst-filled lyrics, or the associated fashion aesthetic featuring unkempt, layered clothing.


SIMPLE

He loves listening to 90s grunge bands.

CONTEXTUAL

The fashion show featured a modern take on grunge, with models wearing oversized flannel shirts and ripped denim.

COMPLEX

Emerging from the Pacific Northwest, grunge fundamentally altered the landscape of popular music by rejecting the polished artifice of 1980s hair metal in favor of a raw, authentic sound.

Synonyms
Origin

Back-formation from grungy.

Usage

Typically used as an uncountable noun when referring to the music genre or fashion style.

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