1
as in filthy
not clean
he managed to rise above the sordid streets upon which he grew up
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in vile
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency
a sordid affair involving bribery and corruption in high places
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sordid
What makes anyone think this will happen, given the Rockies’ sordid history of developing prospects?
—
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 25 July 2025
The rockstar has a sordid history with the Lone Star State.
—Mars Salazar, Austin American Statesman, 23 July 2025
The internet has a long, sordid history of facilitating the judgment of looks, from now defunct websites like Hot or Not to r/amiugly, a subreddit where the insecure can share selfies to directly solicit opinions on their faces from strangers.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 18 July 2025
But when Gabe fails to save the eighth, a mysterious woman named Amanda, a sordid web of secrets begins to unravel, pushing bonds of loyalty and love to the brink.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sordid
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 25 July 2025
The rockstar has a sordid history with the Lone Star State.
—Mars Salazar, Austin American Statesman, 23 July 2025
The internet has a long, sordid history of facilitating the judgment of looks, from now defunct websites like Hot or Not to r/amiugly, a subreddit where the insecure can share selfies to directly solicit opinions on their faces from strangers.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 18 July 2025
But when Gabe fails to save the eighth, a mysterious woman named Amanda, a sordid web of secrets begins to unravel, pushing bonds of loyalty and love to the brink.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sordid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sordid
Adjective
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One of the canines was wrapped in a spring protruding from a broken, threadbare couch, and yelping for help when cops arrived at the filthy apartment in the Belmont section of the Bronx on Aug. 4, officials said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
14 Aug. 2025
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An image of the inside of the bunker, released by the sheriff’s office, showed a filthy mattress in a corner, a folding chair and a fan.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
26 July 2025
Adjective
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The father even heard the husband shouting vile insults at his son.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
4 Aug. 2025
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Flood died young, a couple of days after his 59th birthday, in 1997, from the vile effects of throat cancer.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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Spectacular scenery certainly helps, as the story traverses from dusty Andean plains to harrowing mountain roads to capital city La Paz.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
3 Aug. 2025
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Axel Hunnicutt stood by the side of a dusty dirt road in California’s high country rangeland and howled like a wolf.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Beyond discomfort and potential allergic reactions, a dirty mattress can also affect the quality of your sleep itself.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
11 Aug. 2025
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Inspection reports revealed problems with mold, water leaks, dirty equipment and rooms, meat debris stuck on walls and equipment, various bugs, and, at one point, puddles of blood on the floor.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Officials recommend that volunteers wear closed-toe shoes and clothes that can get muddy, the release said.—
Mike Danahey,
Chicago Tribune,
31 July 2025
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While the handful of '90s Virtual Boy developers did their best under this limitation, the hardware's red-on-black graphics have aged even worse than the often muddy grayscale found on the original Game Boy.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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Whereas the Star Wars sequels woefully misused the actor's talents, this movie puts them center stage, playing one of the teen hoodlums who join forces with their victim to fight off nasty, otherworldly invaders.—
Chris Snellgrove,
EW.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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Things could be reversed if prompt actions are taken to get vaccination rates back up again before the different nasty microbes can spread too far in the U.S. population.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
10 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In its time open, fueled by fans of its blackened mahi and buttery lobster rolls, owner Mike Smith has expanded his footprint, moving into a larger stall in the popular food hall — which has allowed for a menu expansion, as well.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
Orlando Sentinel,
6 Dec. 2022
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There are no glamorous furnishings — just a French window, its blackened panes suggesting the dark of night.—
Christopher Knight,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Oct. 2022
Adjective
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Rudy flames out on his first day, though, and ends up working for a shady lawyer named Bruiser (Lana Parrilla) and her gleefully immoral paralegal Deck (P.J. Byrne).—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
12 Aug. 2025
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And that may be a good thing for humanity: For humans to thrive in this new era, immoral corporate executives and world leaders alike need to be replaced by AI, Gawdat advised.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sordid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sordid. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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