1
: marked by filthiness and degradation from neglect or poverty
lived in squalid conditions
2
: sordid
a squalid affair
squalidly
adverb
squalidness
noun
Examples of squalid in a Sentence
The family lived in squalid conditions.
Recent Examples on the Web
Many migrants are placed in squalid detention centers in Libya where the United Nations and human rights groups have documented the widespread use of torture and abuse.
—
Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 23 Feb. 2026
Money and resources flowed almost entirely to sports favored by whites—cricket and rugby—while soccer was left mostly to Black South Africans, playing in substandard, ramshackle stadiums in squalid townships.
—Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
There was no sign of such optimism in Gaza, where Palestinians who have spent months or even years in squalid displacement camps or the rubble of their homes hold out little hope for change.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
Approximately 80 percent of all structures have been badly damaged or destroyed, and Gazans have nowhere to live except in squalid tents or the ruins of former homes.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
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Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 23 Feb. 2026
Money and resources flowed almost entirely to sports favored by whites—cricket and rugby—while soccer was left mostly to Black South Africans, playing in substandard, ramshackle stadiums in squalid townships.
—Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
There was no sign of such optimism in Gaza, where Palestinians who have spent months or even years in squalid displacement camps or the rubble of their homes hold out little hope for change.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
Approximately 80 percent of all structures have been badly damaged or destroyed, and Gazans have nowhere to live except in squalid tents or the ruins of former homes.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for squalid
Cite this Entry
“Squalid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/squalid. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
squalid
adjective
squal·id
ˈskwäl-əd 
1
: filthy or degraded as a result of neglect or the lack of money
2
squalidly
adverb
squalidness
noun
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