1
as in filthy
not clean
he managed to rise above the sordid streets upon which he grew up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in vile
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency
a sordid affair involving bribery and corruption in high places
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sordid
No choice, no road, no hope— only the endless repetition of the sordid and the semi-tragic.
—
Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
There’s a sordid little Whodunit stealing the show over in America.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 6 Feb. 2026
At the medal ceremony, the Russian compatriots exchanged cool handshakes as TV commentators recapped their sordid history.
—Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 3 Feb. 2026
While many talk shows began as fitfully amusing discussions around relevant issues, some soon devolved into sordid and exploitative freak shows that encouraged verbal and physical altercations.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sordid
Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
There’s a sordid little Whodunit stealing the show over in America.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 6 Feb. 2026
At the medal ceremony, the Russian compatriots exchanged cool handshakes as TV commentators recapped their sordid history.
—Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 3 Feb. 2026
While many talk shows began as fitfully amusing discussions around relevant issues, some soon devolved into sordid and exploitative freak shows that encouraged verbal and physical altercations.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sordid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sordid
Adjective
-
The Space Marines are attempting to reclaim Kronus from the filthy xenos on the planet, leading a heroic charge into a massive Ork army as the Necrons rise again.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The woman was taken to the Fort Worth jail, by then best described as an old, filthy, rat-infested hole in the basement of city hall.—
Kevin Foster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Slayyyter’s music is vile, explicit, and a threat to common decency.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Their vile chants are surely loud enough to be heard from 25 feet away.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Cape Canaveral is no dusty history tour.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026
-
No amount of inner toughness would have convinced a customer to bring in a dusty rug in May 2020.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Customers will keep fighting back with dirty returns, unused reservations and hostile reviews.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
About 20 miles southwest of Indianapolis, Mooresville residents report finding dirty water filters turning a disconcerting brown.—
Karl Schneider,
IndyStar,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
One woman was paying $600 per month to live in a storage shed in the muddy backyard cluttered with junk and dotted with dog poop.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The ceasefire picture is muddier than the public posturing suggests.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The culprit is a nasty invasive plant, which became one of the most popular landscape trees available − the Bradford pear.—
Campbell Vaughn,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Weather officials warned of a warm front moving through north central and northeast Illinois possibly creating nasty weather of thunderstorms, damaging winds and large hail.—
Deanese Williams-Harris,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The land, unfenced, abuts a bald blackened hillside that must be public land.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Aug. 2025
-
In its time open, fueled by fans of its blackened mahi and buttery lobster rolls, owner Mike Smith has expanded his footprint, moving into a larger stall in the popular food hall — which has allowed for a menu expansion, as well.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
Orlando Sentinel,
6 Dec. 2022
Adjective
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The Michigan State Police said Robert Wilson, 44, of Gaylord, was arrested on March 25 and lodged at the Otsego County Jail on one charge each of accosting a minor for immoral purposes and using a computer to commit a crime.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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When the status quo is fundamentally evil and dysfunctional, then Trimming is immoral.—
David Brooks,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sordid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sordid. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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