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.

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

Not even your passport or your birth certificate will save you if he carries through on that squalid Thanksgiving message.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 2, 2025

Lawyers say instead it has become a “black site,” holding immigrants for days or weeks in squalid and unsanitary conditions without access to legal counsel.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 5, 2025

Cecilia had carried up trays of tea to her mother’s room—as spectacularly squalid as her own—thinking some intimate conversations might develop.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

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