Definitions

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

Neat or squalid, these apartments reflect the compromised lives these men have made for themselves.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026

“I remember sitting in my squalid cubicle and thinking, ‘My God, my life is a total waste.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 13, 2026

An August 2024 report by the prison's independent monitoring board found inmate numbers in the "cramped, squalid" prison, had grown to 1,513.

From BBC • Nov. 5, 2025

Marshall Square was squalid, dark, and dingy, but we were all together and so impassioned and spirited that I barely noticed my surroundings.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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