What it means
Used when something's properly disgusting, foul-smelling, filthy, or just grim enough to make you recoil a bit. You'd say food's minging, a flat's minging, your gym socks are minging, or a takeaway looks minging. In harsher chat, people can say it about someone's appearance too. Very British, very blunt, and often boosted to absolutely minging or pure minging.
Usage examples
"That chip shop by the station was pure minging, grease everywhere, stank o fish, and the lad behind the counter looked like he'd slept in it."
"The fridge had been off for a week while we were away, and when we opened it the smell was absolutely minging."
"I left my PE kit in the boot all weekend and now it's minging, I'm not touching that with bare hands."
"That student kitchen was absolutely minging, plates stacked up, bin leaking, whole place humming with death."
"Your bathroom's minging, mate, there's toothpaste crusted in the sink and that towel smells feral."
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Where it comes from
It comes from Scots ming, a word tied to a bad smell or a stink. From there, minging spread through Scottish speech and wider UK slang, then widened out from stuff that literally reeked to anything grotty, revolting, or stomach-turning. The pong stayed in the bones of it.
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