Grotty

Slang Term BritishAustralian ★★★☆☆ Moderate Casual
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Meaning: Dirty, unpleasant, or of poor quality

肮脏的、破旧的、令人不快的
Sucio, cutre, desagradable
汚い、みすぼらしい、不快な
지저분한, 불쾌한, 품질이 낮은

Describes something unpleasantly dirty, run-down, or generally undesirable. Can apply to places, things, or feelings.

形容某物破旧、肮脏或令人不快的英式俚语。也可以描述身体不适。
Argot británico que describe algo desgastado, sucio o desagradable. También puede describir sentirse mal físicamente.
すり減った、汚い、不快なものを表すイギリスのスラング。体調が悪いことも表せる。
불쾌하게 더럽거나, 낡고 허름하거나, 전반적으로 바람직하지 않은 것을 묘사하는 표현. 장소, 사물, 기분 등에 두루 쓸 수 있다.

Examples

  1. The hotel room was absolutely grotty.
    那间公寓有点破旧。
    El piso era un poco cutre.
    あのアパートちょっとみすぼらしかった。
    호텔 방이 정말 지저분했어.
  2. I feel a bit grotty—might be coming down with something.
    我感觉不太舒服。
    Me siento un poco mal.
    ちょっと気分悪い。
    좀 컨디션이 안 좋아—감기 걸리려나 봐.
  3. What a grotty little flat.
    别去那家咖啡馆——很脏。
    No vayas a esa cafetería—está cutre.
    あのカフェ行かないで——汚いから。
    정말 허름한 원룸이네.
  4. The weather's been grotty all week.
    我们住在一家破旧的小旅馆。
    Nos quedamos en un hotelito cutre.
    みすぼらしい小さなホテルに泊まった。
    일주일 내내 날씨가 꿉꿉했어.

Pronunciation

/ˈɡrɒti/

Usage Guide

Context: places, condition, feelings

Tone: disapproving, casual

✓ Do Say

  • That's grotty.
    那真脏
    Eso es asqueroso
    汚いね
    허름하다
  • Feeling a bit grotty.
    感觉有点不舒服
    Me siento un poco pachucho
    ちょっと気分が悪い
    좀 허름해
  • What a grotty place.
    真是个破地方
    Vaya sitio más cutre
    なんて汚い場所だ
    좀 허름해

✗ Don't Say

  • Very British
    非常英式——美国人不会用
    Muy británico—los americanos no lo usarán
    とてもイギリス的——アメリカ人は使わない
    영국식 속어로, 미국에서는 잘 알려지지 않음
  • Americans won't know this word
    美国人不会知道这个词
    Los americanos no conocerán esta palabra
    アメリカ人はこの言葉を知らない
    영국식 속어로, 미국에서는 잘 알려지지 않음

Common Mistakes

Origin & History

British slang shortened from 'grotesque.' Popularized by the Beatles film A Hard Day's Night (1964) where it was used to describe things as unpleasant.

Etymology: Shortened from 'grotesque'

First recorded: British slang, popularized 1964 by Beatles film

Cultural Context

Era: 1960s onwards

Generation: All ages in UK

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: A Hard Day's Night (1964); Beatles made it popular

Regional notes: British and Australian. Unknown to Americans.

Variations

GrottyA bit grottyFeeling grotty

Related Phrases

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Dodgy ★★★★★ Suspicious, unreliable, or of poor quality Rubbish ★★★★★ Bad, worthless, nonsense (British) Cheeky ★★★★★ Impudent in an endearing way; playfully rude Legit ★★★★★ Legitimate, real, genuine Random ★★★★★ Strange, unexpected, out of place Sus ★★★★★ Suspicious, not trustworthy, questionable
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