squalid

[skwol-id, skwaw-lid] / ˈskwɒl ɪd, ˈskwɔ lɪd /

ADJECTIVE

poor, run-down

Synonyms

STRONGEST

dingy fetid filthy grimy muddy musty ramshackle seedy shabby sordid wretched

WEAK

abominable base broken-down decayed despicable dirty disgusting disheveled foul gruesome horrible horrid ignoble impure low mean miry moldy nasty odorous offensive poverty-stricken reeking repellent repulsive scurvy shoddy sloppy slovenly soiled ugly unclean unkempt vile

Antonyms

STRONGEST

bright clean clear good honorable nice pure sterile

WEAK

kept-up rich

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.

Pope Leo XIV will visit a prison known for its squalid conditions in Equatorial Guinea on Wednesday, the second-to-last day of a marathon African tour on which he has spoken out forcefully on world issues.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

Cities are squalid crime hives that need to be tamed or abandoned in the Sheridanverse, whereas small towns and Western vistas are quaint canvases fertile with possibility.

From Salon • Mar. 23, 2026

"It was an absolutely awful, squalid, very unhygienic scene," Norris remembers of his visit to Save A Paw.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

Soutine settled into a squalid artists’ colony in Montparnasse as one among many Jewish immigrants living there.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

Poor people couldn’t flee to comfortable country homes like their wealthier neighbors, but at least they could escape the most squalid and plague-ridden sections of town.

From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy

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