plural slums
: a densely populated usually urban area marked especially by poverty
slummed; slumming; slums
: to visit slums especially out of curiosity
broadly
: to go somewhere or do something that might be considered beneath one's station
—sometimes used with it
slumming it in budget hotels
slummer
noun
Examples of slum in a Sentence
Noun
He grew up in the slums of New York.
Verb
He sometimes likes to go slumming in bars around the city.
Recent Examples on the Web
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 June 2025
Image Image Image In the southwestern part of Nairobi is Kibera, considered the largest urban slum in Africa.
—Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 4 May 2025
James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025
Speaking of co-leads slumming it in the Supporting Actor category: If this is indeed where Netflix ends up campaigning Ben Whishaw for Black Doves, consider voting for him anyway.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for slum
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.
Noun
The filmmaker, raised in a Mumbai slum by a chauffeur father and homemaker mother, transitioned from interior design to filmmaking.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 June 2025
Image Image Image In the southwestern part of Nairobi is Kibera, considered the largest urban slum in Africa.
—Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 4 May 2025
Verb
Some will doubtless feel this career detour is slumming.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025
Speaking of co-leads slumming it in the Supporting Actor category: If this is indeed where Netflix ends up campaigning Ben Whishaw for Black Doves, consider voting for him anyway.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for slum
Cite this Entry
“Slum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slum. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
slum
1 of 2 noun
: a thickly populated section especially of a city marked by crowding, dirty run-down housing, and generally poor living conditions
slum
2 of 2 verb
slummed; slumming
: to visit slums especially out of curiosity
slummer
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share