minging

minging

English

Etymology

From Scots mingin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɪŋɪŋ/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

  Rhymes: -ɪŋɪŋ

Adjective

minging (comparative more minging, superlative most minging)

1. (Britain, slang) Unattractive or repulsive.
   • 2011, Melvin Burgess, Kill All Enemies, Penguin UK (→ISBN)

     Once, Cookie even tried to get me to give it a go with Jez – can you believe the nerve of that? 'Why would I want to do that? He's minging.' 'Why not? It won't hurt. He never gets a shag.' 'No, Cookie. Bloody hell.' He hasn't got a clue. 'Wouldn't you be jealous?' 'No.' 'You're an idiot. Why do you think he never gets a shag?' 'Why?' 'Because he's minging!' 'So? I'm minging. We're all minging. None of us are exactly page three, are we, Billie?'

2. (Britain, slang) Unclean or dirty.
   • 2011, Lucy Kellaway, The Answers: All the office questions you never dared to ask, Profile Books (→ISBN), page 82

     Cleaners are always prime suspects for office thefts but in my long experience it's nearly all employees, with a tiny remainder down to traditional burglary. My advice is to presume the Nike-clad cleaner innocent and take personal stuff home, especially minging sportswear.

Further reading

• “minging” (US) / “minging” (UK) in Oxford Dictionaries, Oxford University Press.