squalid

adjective

Definition of squalidnext
1
as in filthy
severely lacking in cleanliness The squalid boarding house was overrun with rats.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in vile
not moral or honest The whole squalid affair will rightly end the politician's public career.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective squalid differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of squalid are dirty, filthy, foul, and nasty. While all these words mean "conspicuously unclean or impure," squalid adds to the idea of dirtiness and filth that of slovenly neglect. Distinctively, its figurative use implies sordidness as well as baseness and dirtiness.

squalid slums
engaged in a series of squalid affairs

In what contexts can dirty take the place of squalid?

The words dirty and squalid are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dirty emphasizes the presence of dirt more than an emotional reaction to it or, figuratively, stresses meanness or despicableness.

a dirty littered street
don't ask me to do your dirty work

When could filthy be used to replace squalid?

While the synonyms filthy and squalid are close in meaning, filthy carries a strong suggestion of offensiveness and typically of gradually accumulated dirt that begrimes and besmears. Figuratively, it can also describe disgusting obscenity.

a stained greasy floor, utterly filthy
filthy street language

When can foul be used instead of squalid?

In some situations, the words foul and squalid are roughly equivalent. However, foul implies extreme offensiveness and an accumulation of what is rotten or stinking; it can also describe, for example, loathsome behavior.

a foul-smelling open sewer
a foul story of lust and greed

How does the word nasty relate to other synonyms for squalid?

Nasty applies to what is actually foul or is repugnant to one expecting freshness, cleanliness, or sweetness; in practice, however, nasty is often weakened to the point of being no more than a synonym of unpleasant or disagreeable. When used figuratively, nasty implies a peculiarly offensive unpleasantness.

it's a nasty job to clean up after a sick cat
had a nasty fall
his answer gave her a nasty shock
a stand-up comedian known for nasty humor

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of squalid During the previous effort, squalid and fetid camps grew on the border and were marred by gang violence. —Colleen Long, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2025 During the previous implementation of this policy, squalid camps at the border became hotspots for gang violence. —Justin Gest, Newsweek, 21 Jan. 2025 Hundreds of thousands are struggling with hunger and disease in squalid tent camps on the coast. —Samy Magdy, Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025 Many of them have been living in squalid tent camps, which are freezing at night and hot during the day. —Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 17 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for squalid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squalid
  1. filthy
  2. vile
  3. dusty
  4. pitiful
  5. muddy
  6. contemptible
  7. dirty
  8. disgusting
Adjective
  • In early modern Europe, the filthiest trades (such as tanning) were branded nuisances and forced out of cities and closer to those living at society’s margins.
    — Scott W. Stern, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2025
  • The beat is straight up filthy, as are the lyrics, written from the point of view of a seductress who is simultaneously a literal murderer.
    — James Factora, Them, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of filthy
Adjective
  • The Oakland Jewish Alliance, a grassroots organization formed in the wake of these vile acts, has reported over 400 incidents of antisemitic graffiti around the Lake Merritt/Lakeshore neighborhoods in a one-year period.
    — Mark Cohen, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2025
  • After West went on a series of vile antisemitic rants in the fall of 2022, Donda became collateral damage, with families pulling their children out and several teachers leaving.
    — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of vile
Adjective
  • Its head is outfitted with LED lights that illuminate dark, dusty areas.
    — Isabel Garcia, People.com, 16 Mar. 2025
  • For a piece in this week’s issue, Helfand speaks with all parties involved, and even visits Elvis in his current resting place, amid dusty knickknacks and towering piles of junk in an office behind a mechanic’s garage.
    — Hannah Jocelyn, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of dusty
Adjective
  • But the modern Democratic Party, rudderless and confused and reeling from a pitiful collective performance during Tuesday evening's presidential joint address to Congress, now confronts a fork in the road that's no joke.
    — Newsweek, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
  • My performance was beyond pitiful today, and has been for a while now.
    — Ryan Morik, Fox News, 3 Mar. 2025
Definition of pitiful
Adjective
  • Palestinian families who had returned to live among the ruins of the devastated neighborhood during the ceasefire once again fled, piling mattresses and belongings on donkey carts and escaping on muddy roads.
    — Daniel Estrin, NPR, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Tidy up all those tight spaces—tub seals, sink drains, car vents—or spiff up a pair of muddy sneakers.
    — Ella Field, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of muddy
Adjective
  • At the time, some of LeBron’s critics saw this as contemptible.
    — Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2025
  • Civil-liberties organizations have defended neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan on the basis that, unless there is free speech for the most contemptible members of society, there cannot be free speech for all.
    — Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of contemptible
Adjective
  • Every Look from the 2025 Oscars Red Carpet By Vogue Based on Court of Honor, William P. Wood’s 1991 legal thriller, this Turner Network Television original movie finds Tom Selleck playing a municipal judge who pitches in to help with a government sting operation focused on nailing a dirty judge.
    — Nell Beram, Vogue, 8 Mar. 2025
  • More likely, a veteran like Hill or Ford or any number of others — guys who have played a lot and know how to get the dirty work done — could fit.
    — Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of dirty
Adjective
  • Continue reading … ‘PRO-CRIMINAL’ – Blue state sheriff unloads on 'disgusting' bill targeting the right to self-defense.
    — Fox News, Fox News, 11 Mar. 2025
  • But there isn’t the shaming and the negativity, and the disgusting opinions of people that can barely dress themselves.
    — Alison Edmond, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of disgusting

Browse Nearby Words

squalid
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Squalid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squalid. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on squalid

Nglish: Translation of squalid for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All