squalid

adjective

Definition of squalidnext
1
as in filthy
severely lacking in cleanliness The squalid boarding house was overrun with rats.

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2
as in vile
not moral or honest The whole squalid affair will rightly end the politician's public career.

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Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective squalid differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of squalid are dirty, filthy, foul, and nasty. While all these words mean "conspicuously unclean or impure," squalid adds to the idea of dirtiness and filth that of slovenly neglect. Distinctively, its figurative use implies sordidness as well as baseness and dirtiness.

squalid slums
engaged in a series of squalid affairs

In what contexts can dirty take the place of squalid?

The words dirty and squalid are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dirty emphasizes the presence of dirt more than an emotional reaction to it or, figuratively, stresses meanness or despicableness.

a dirty littered street
don't ask me to do your dirty work

When could filthy be used to replace squalid?

While the synonyms filthy and squalid are close in meaning, filthy carries a strong suggestion of offensiveness and typically of gradually accumulated dirt that begrimes and besmears. Figuratively, it can also describe disgusting obscenity.

a stained greasy floor, utterly filthy
filthy street language

When can foul be used instead of squalid?

In some situations, the words foul and squalid are roughly equivalent. However, foul implies extreme offensiveness and an accumulation of what is rotten or stinking; it can also describe, for example, loathsome behavior.

a foul-smelling open sewer
a foul story of lust and greed

How does the word nasty relate to other synonyms for squalid?

Nasty applies to what is actually foul or is repugnant to one expecting freshness, cleanliness, or sweetness; in practice, however, nasty is often weakened to the point of being no more than a synonym of unpleasant or disagreeable. When used figuratively, nasty implies a peculiarly offensive unpleasantness.

it's a nasty job to clean up after a sick cat
had a nasty fall
his answer gave her a nasty shock
a stand-up comedian known for nasty humor

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of squalid Activists and politicians accused DHS officers of smashing car windows, roughing up bystanders who tried to record their activities and detaining immigrants in squalid conditions. —Dallas Morning News, 18 Mar. 2026 The union accused the company of human trafficking via social media; charging workers to live in squalid conditions; threatening and intimidating workers and their families; operating with dangerously high production line speeds; and withholding mail from workers. —Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 16 Mar. 2026 Aid groups said that deal created open-air prisons with squalid conditions. —Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026 Aid groups said that deal created open-air prisons with squalid conditions. —Sam McNeil, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for squalid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squalid
  1. filthy
  2. vile
  3. dusty
  4. pitiful
  5. muddy
  6. contemptible
  7. dirty
  8. disgusting
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
Definition of filthy
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
Definition of vile
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
Definition of dusty
Adjective
  • Given that California ranks a pitiful 49th in the nation in the condition, safety and costs of roads and bridges, according to the Reason Foundation’s 2025 Annual Highway Report, taxpayers’ transportation dollars would likely be better spent elsewhere.
    — Adam Summers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2026
  • The rear cargo space is pitiful for a vehicle of this size, price, and classification.
    — Jesus R. Garcia, Houston Chronicle, 15 Mar. 2026
Definition of pitiful
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
Definition of muddy
Adjective
  • For a man whose alleged bone spurs kept him out of the Vietnam draft to muse about receiving an award reserved for the bravest of the brave of the American armed forces is contemptible.
    — Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
  • Your death was preventable, unjust, tragic, and contemptible; utterly contemptible.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Jan. 2026
Definition of contemptible
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
Definition of dirty
Adjective
  • Living under an openly misogynistic president may have felt freakish in 2017, but by his second term, bigotry became yet another disgusting norm.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 2 Apr. 2026
  • The amount of disrespect shown the Broncos is disgusting.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of disgusting

Browse Nearby Words

squads
squalid
squalidness
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Cite this Entry

“Squalid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squalid. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on squalid

Nglish: Translation of squalid for Spanish Speakers

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