grunge
Stubborn built-up dirt
Grunge is dirt or grime, especially the kind that accumulates in grimy, neglected spaces.
The word gained prominence as a music genre emerging from Seattle in the late 1980s and early 1990s—characterized by distorted guitars, angst-laden lyrics, and bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam.
The associated fashion embraced a deliberately unkempt aesthetic: flannel shirts, ripped jeans, unwashed hair.
As an adjective, grungy means dirty or run-down: a grungy apartment, grungy sneakers.
Release from earthly existence
- Pearl JamSeattle grunge pioneers
- SoundgardenSeattle grunge rock band
- distortionTwisting from original state
- flannelSoft napped cloth
Kurt Cobain · Eddie Vedder · Chris Cornell · garage · sludge · lo-fi · angst · Seattle sound
Soft napped cloth
- Doc MartensAir-cushioned leather boots
- combat bootsRugged military footwear
- ripped jeansDenim with intentional tears
- oversizedExceeding typical dimensions
layering · thrift store · vintage · plaid · thermal · babydoll dress · chokers · beanies
Mid-sixties to eighties births
- slackerIdle responsibility evader
- angstDeep unfocused worry
- alienationState of being isolated
- apathyAbsence of feeling
disaffection · nonconformity · outsider · counterculture · zine · underground · DIY · dropout
Not clean
- filthyThoroughly unclean
- grimyCoated in stubborn dirt
- dingyDiscolored from grime
- unkemptUntidy in appearance
unwashed · distressed · worn · faded · tattered · smudged · stained · shabby
1990-1999
- MTV UnpluggedAcoustic television concert format
- major labelLarge corporate record company
- NevermindCasual dismissal phrase
Nirvana
Release from earthly existence
- Pearl JamSeattle grunge pioneers
- SoundgardenSeattle grunge rock band
- distortionTwisting from original state
Kurt Cobain · Eddie Vedder · Chris Cornell · flannel · garage · sludge · lo-fi · angst · Seattle sound · feedback
flannel
Soft napped cloth
- Doc MartensAir-cushioned leather boots
- combat bootsRugged military footwear
- ripped jeansDenim with intentional tears
oversized · layering · thrift store · vintage · plaid · thermal · babydoll dress · chokers · beanies · Converse
Generation X
Mid-sixties to eighties births
- slackerIdle responsibility evader
- angstDeep unfocused worry
- alienationState of being isolated
apathy · disaffection · nonconformity · outsider · counterculture · zine · underground · DIY · dropout · disillusioned
dirty
Not clean
unkempt · unwashed · distressed · worn · faded · tattered · smudged · stained · shabby · ragged
nineties
1990-1999
- MTV UnpluggedAcoustic television concert format
- major labelLarge corporate record company
- NevermindCasual dismissal phrase
- rock genresalternative rock, classic rock, heavy metal, hard rock, indie rock
- 90s MusicNirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Green Day, Radiohead
- fashion trendsvintage fashion, retro fashion, retro style, vintage, retro
- Alt Rockalt-rock, alternative metal, indie rock, post-punk, new wave
- fashion slanglewk, drip, slay, fierce, serve
- subculturespunk, punks, hippie, goth, hippies
grungecleanliness
Absence of dirt
spotlessness · neatness · purity · pristineness · immaculateness
grungepop
Fizzy drink, regionally
bubblegum pop · glam metal · hair metal · glam rock · synth-pop
grungeglamour
Fascinating, elegant attractiveness
haute couture · elegance · refinement · sophistication · polish
- grunge scene
- grunge eraEarly-90s rock movement period
- soft grungeSoftened alternative aesthetic