griming
Coating with dirt
Griming is the act of making something dirty or grimy—coating it with soot, grime, or accumulated filth.
The word appears most often in its past participle form: smoke-grimed windows, a face grimed with coal dust.
The present participle sees occasional literary use: Years of neglect were griming the once-white walls.
Making blurry marks
- soilingMaking something unclean
- sullyingDamaging purity or honor
- besmirchingDamaging someone's reputation
- foulingMaking something unclean
mucking · muddying · dirtying · blackening · spattering · streaking · smearing · caking
Introducing harmful contaminants
- contaminatingMaking something impure
- defilingCorrupting purity or sanctity
- corruptingCausing moral decay
- taintingPolluting or corrupting
adulterating · degrading · spoiling · infecting · fouling · despoiling · toxifying · befouling
Gathering in increasing quantity
- layeringForming successive strata
- cakingSolidifying into chunks
- encrustingForming a hardened covering
- coatingApplied surface covering
depositing · filming · crusting · thickening · collecting · sedimenting
Carbon from incomplete burning
- exhaustUse up entirely
- coal dustPowdered carbon fuel remnant
- machineryCollective mechanical equipment
- oilSlippery viscous fluid
grease · smoke · ash · carbon · diesel · chimney · smog · furnace
Altering in hue
- darkeningGrowing less bright
- blemishingCausing visible flaws
- marringCausing damage or disfigurement
- blottingAbsorbing by pressing
marking · spotting · splotching · tarnishing · mottling · streaking · shadowing
smudging
Making blurry marks
- soilingMaking something unclean
- sullyingDamaging purity or honor
- besmirchingDamaging someone's reputation
fouling · mucking · muddying · dirtying · blackening · spattering · streaking · smearing · caking · coating
polluting
Introducing harmful contaminants
- contaminatingMaking something impure
- defilingCorrupting purity or sanctity
- corruptingCausing moral decay
tainting · adulterating · degrading · spoiling · infecting · fouling · despoiling · toxifying · befouling
accumulating
Gathering in increasing quantity
- layeringForming successive strata
- cakingSolidifying into chunks
- encrustingForming a hardened covering
coating · depositing · filming · crusting · thickening · collecting · sedimenting
soot
Carbon from incomplete burning
oil · grease · smoke · ash · carbon · diesel · chimney · smog · furnace · engine
discoloring
Altering in hue
- darkeningGrowing less bright
- blemishingCausing visible flaws
- marringCausing damage or disfigurement
blotting · marking · spotting · splotching · tarnishing · mottling · streaking · shadowing