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.

Long before his role in the Epstein case came to light, Brunel already had a sordid reputation in the fashion world.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

Meanwhile, the locals continued to pursue their delightfully sordid lifestyles with a lot more personal privacy than would seem likely in smalltown America.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026

But sordid details emerged during the legal cases, revealing a darker side.

From BBC • Jul. 3, 2025

Those fingers come with a long, skeletal middle digit equipped with a ball-and-socket joint for horrifying dexterity, like the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come beckoning Ebenezer Scrooge to gaze upon his own sordid death.

From Salon • May 11, 2025

I believe you’ll find nothing sordid in this.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

Vocabulary lists containing sordid

1984

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Grade 12, List 2

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Heart of Darkness

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