sordid

[sawr-did] / ˈsɔr dɪd /

ADJECTIVE

dirty, bad, low

Synonyms

STRONGEST

disreputable nasty shameful sleazy squalid vile

WEAK

abject avaricious base black calculated corrupt covetous debauched degenerate degraded despicable dowdy filthy foul grasping grubby ignoble impure low-down mean mercenary miserable miserly poor scurvy seedy self-seeking selfish servile shabby slovenly slummy small small-minded unclean uncleanly ungenerous venal vicious wretched

Antonyms

STRONGEST

clean decent good kind nice reputable respectable

WEAK

honorable wonderful

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"This form of disinformation is particularly prevalent in salacious circumstances such as the JP Morgan case, where those involved can be targeted for further humiliation through exaggerated depictions of their alleged sordid actions," Scheirer added.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

Bridger was described by those who knew him as "always confident, courteous and charming" but when police seized his computer, a sordid secret was revealed.

From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026

For those outside the citadel—anti-boomer millennials, Gen Z, the underpaid and aggrieved—the Epstein revelations tell a sordid story they’ve long suspected.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 7, 2026

That sordid history won’t necessarily make anyone feel better about the current state of affairs, nor should it.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 4, 2025

I know the impression I’m leaving: that the word was a bad word, sordid in nature, that I’m too embarrassed to say it out loud to him.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

Vocabulary lists containing sordid

1984

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Grade 12, List 2

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Heart of Darkness

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