cesspool

noun

cess·​pool ˈses-ˌpül How to pronounce cesspool (audio)
1
: an underground reservoir for liquid waste (such as household sewage)
2
: a filthy, evil, or corrupt place or state
a cesspool of corruption

Examples of cesspool in a Sentence

The region had become a cesspool of pollution. over the decades the once-respectable neighborhood had become an urban cesspool
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the absence of the local paper, will the void be filled by the unregulated cesspool of social media where facts and truth are often unnecessary baggage? Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2025 The state of social media, meanwhile—fractured, disorienting, and prone to boosting all manner of misinformation—can be succinctly described as a cesspool. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2025 As flames tore through Pacific Palisades on Tuesday, X became a cesspool of misinformation and anti-DEI attacks targeting LA Mayor Karen Bass and LAFD chief Kristin Crowley, who is the first woman and LGBT person in the job. Axios, 10 Jan. 2025 A couple of weeks back, apropos of nothing, a small cadre in the cesspool formerly known as Twitter decided that the most important cultural irritant of the moment was the rise of visible ASL interpreters at press conferences and public events. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for cesspool 

Word History

Etymology

perhaps by folk etymology from Middle English suspiral vent, tap on a main pipe, settling pool, from Anglo-French suspirale vent, from suspirer to sigh, exhale, from Latin suspirare, literally, to draw a long breath — more at suspire

First Known Use

1783, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cesspool was in 1783

Dictionary Entries Near cesspool

Cite this Entry

“Cesspool.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cesspool. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

cesspool

noun
cess·​pool ˈses-ˌpül How to pronounce cesspool (audio)
: an underground pit or tank for liquid waste (as household sewage)

More from Merriam-Webster on cesspool

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