埃(ほこり)まみれ

Compound of 埃(ほこり) (dust) + まみれ (covered with). The suffix まみれ attaches to nouns to indicate being covered or smeared with something, typically something unpleasant or messy.

THE まみれ PATTERN:
まみれ always implies a negative or unclean covering. It cannot be used for pleasant things.

• 血(ち)まみれ: covered in blood
• 泥(どろ)まみれ: covered in mud
• 汗(あせ)まみれ: drenched in sweat
• 借金(しゃっきん)まみれ: drowning in debt (figurative)

Common patterns

• As a noun modifier: 埃(ほこり)まみれの + noun (埃(ほこり)まみれの部屋(へや))
• As a predicate: 埃(ほこり)まみれだ / 埃(ほこり)まみれになる

Similar words

• 埃(ほこり)だらけ: full of dust — similar meaning but だらけ focuses on quantity (lots of dust everywhere) while まみれ focuses on being coated
• 汚(よご)れた: dirty; soiled — general term for being dirty, not specific to dust