1
: marked by baseness or grossness : vile
sordid motives
3
: meanly avaricious : covetous
4
: of a dull or muddy color
sordidly
adverb
sordidness
noun
Examples of sordid in a Sentence
And Vermes's story is also in part an international thriller, especially with the high-level goings-on around the Scrolls. The full sordid tale of spite, scholarly selfishness, and undisguised anti-Semitism, which kept access to the Dead Sea texts restricted for decades to a tiny cartel, unwinds in his pages.
—
Paula Fredriksen, New Republic, 15 Oct. 2001
Another reporter working to verify the book's charges ended up unmasking author James Hatfield's sordid past, revealing how little the publisher knew about its author …
—Jennifer Greenstein, Brill's Content, February 2000
In fact, audiences now have become so blasé about accounts of celebrities' sordid personal lives that some stars are turning potential publicity nightmares into confessional coups.
—Stephen Rebello, Vibe, May 1999
He shared the sordid details of his past.
he managed to rise above the sordid streets upon which he grew up
Paula Fredriksen, New Republic, 15 Oct. 2001
Another reporter working to verify the book's charges ended up unmasking author James Hatfield's sordid past, revealing how little the publisher knew about its author …
—Jennifer Greenstein, Brill's Content, February 2000
In fact, audiences now have become so blasé about accounts of celebrities' sordid personal lives that some stars are turning potential publicity nightmares into confessional coups.
—Stephen Rebello, Vibe, May 1999
He shared the sordid details of his past.
he managed to rise above the sordid streets upon which he grew up
Recent Examples on the Web
Both Ventura and Jane alleged they were pressured to participate in sordid hotel nights with men hired from online services like Craigslist even after Combs had viciously beaten them.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 24 June 2025
House Speaker Mike Johnson, when asked about the sordid incident, quickly blamed Padilla.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025
Jamie Foxx cries in BET Awards speech about health, credits daughters with recovery
Eagle-eyed fans were quick to tease out a more sordid history of the track.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 11 June 2025
But that’s too sordid a story for Chloe’s public image, so she’s portrayed herself simply as the stepmom who stepped up.
—Nina Metz Chicago Tribune, Boston Herald, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sordid
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Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 24 June 2025
House Speaker Mike Johnson, when asked about the sordid incident, quickly blamed Padilla.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025
Jamie Foxx cries in BET Awards speech about health, credits daughters with recovery
Eagle-eyed fans were quick to tease out a more sordid history of the track.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 11 June 2025
But that’s too sordid a story for Chloe’s public image, so she’s portrayed herself simply as the stepmom who stepped up.
—Nina Metz Chicago Tribune, Boston Herald, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sordid
Cite this Entry
“Sordid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sordid. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sordid
adjective
sor·did
ˈsȯrd-əd 
1
: very dirty : filthy
sordid surroundings
2
: vile sense 1a
a sordid life
3
: meanly greedy : covetous
sordidly
adverb
sordidness
noun
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