squalor

noun

squa·​lor ˈskwä-lər 

also ˈskwā-

or ˈskwȯ-

: 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

Bryant was charged in February 2025 with first-degree child abuse after investigators found that her children — at the time ages 12, 13, and 15 — had been living alone for at least four years in a townhouse on Lydia Lane, trapped in squalor. — Andrea May Sahouri, Freep.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Amid the squalor and chaos of a Provincetown kitchen, Anthony Bourdain found his—and Tony did, too. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026

Watts played Rose Mary Walls, the mother of a nomadic family living in poverty and squalor. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Aug. 2026

The children reportedly lived in squalor and weren’t enrolled in school. — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 27 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from squalēre

First Known Use

1621, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for squalor

• caller
• choler
• collar
• crawler
• dollar
• faller
• haller
• hauler
• holler
• scholar
• smaller
• taller

Kids Definition

squalor

noun

squa·​lor ˈskwäl-ər 

: filthy or degraded conditions resulting from neglect or lack of money