: the quality or state of being squalid
Examples of squalor in a Sentence
The family was living in squalor.
I was shocked by the squalor of their surroundings.
Recent Examples on the Web
But even past that, Tactics is directly about how the rich and powerful view the poor and weak as almost subhuman, practically delighting in the squalor and suffering normal people go through.
—
Hayes Madsen, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
Nearly two weeks after San Jose began dismantling its largest homeless encampment, the city is set to open its first-ever safe sleeping site, which will provide tents for dozens of the approximately 370 residents who have lived in dilapidated RVs and squalor at Columbus Park.
—Devan Patel, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2025
The cottage retains its utopian squalor.
—Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Gazans have lived in squalor for generations.
—Jeff Robbins, Oc Register, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squalor
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Hayes Madsen, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
Nearly two weeks after San Jose began dismantling its largest homeless encampment, the city is set to open its first-ever safe sleeping site, which will provide tents for dozens of the approximately 370 residents who have lived in dilapidated RVs and squalor at Columbus Park.
—Devan Patel, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2025
The cottage retains its utopian squalor.
—Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Gazans have lived in squalor for generations.
—Jeff Robbins, Oc Register, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squalor
Cite this Entry
“Squalor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/squalor. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
squalor
noun
squa·lor
ˈskwäl-ər 
: filthy or degraded conditions resulting from neglect or lack of money
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