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
Even so, the entire sordid episode—and the possibility of further messy clashes between Trump and Musk unfolding in public—highlights a fundamental vulnerability at the heart of the nation’s deep reliance on SpaceX for access to space.
—
Lee Billings, Scientific American, 5 June 2025
If found guilty in what has already been a sordid trial after just one week and amid rumors of his entourage angling for a pardon from Donald Trump, the 55-year-old Diddy likely faces life behind bars.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 May 2025
The verdict capped one of the most significant political corruption investigations in Chicago’s sordid history.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2025
The verdict came after a four-month trial and capped one of the most significant political corruption investigations in Chicago’s sordid history.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sordid
Lee Billings, Scientific American, 5 June 2025
If found guilty in what has already been a sordid trial after just one week and amid rumors of his entourage angling for a pardon from Donald Trump, the 55-year-old Diddy likely faces life behind bars.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 May 2025
The verdict capped one of the most significant political corruption investigations in Chicago’s sordid history.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2025
The verdict came after a four-month trial and capped one of the most significant political corruption investigations in Chicago’s sordid history.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sordid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sordid
Adjective
-
The room was filthy, prescription bottles around the room, one bed with no sheets.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
27 June 2025
-
Photograph: Chris Null As anyone who’s ever stuck a cotton swab in there knows, your ear canal is a filthy, disgusting place.—
Christopher Null,
Wired News,
22 June 2025
Adjective
-
But here’s the hard truth: the First Amendment protects vile, hateful speech, not just popular opinions.—
Bob Shaw,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 June 2025
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The second my status came into question, the vile comments on my worthiness came out, and those comments are telling.—
Sonam Sheth
Gabe Whisnant
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
Just think about where your luggage has been; it gets hauled through airports, goes for a ride on a conveyor belt, rolls across dusty parking lots, is stashed into overhead bins, and is often handled by multiple people with no guarantee of clean hands.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 June 2025
-
He’s worn them outside on dusty furniture, has cat fur all over them ...—
Brian Anthony Hernandez,
People.com,
28 June 2025
Adjective
-
The wider sweeps are stressing the capacity of the detention system, where detainees have reported moldy food, dirty towels and no changes of clothes for more than a week at a time.—
Rachel Uranga,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2025
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Finally, never reuse dirty water as toddlers and pets might accidentally swallow it.—
Lauren Bengtson,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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Furthermore, stormy weather in Stockholm meant the muddy pitch would favour the hosts’ more pragmatic style.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
-
Earlier pressings of this record sounded muddy and boxed in, but here, the piano sparkles and the guitar cuts.—
Philip Martin,
Arkansas Online,
19 June 2025
Adjective
-
This time, Boyle and Garland have a sharper, nastier provocation in mind.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
25 June 2025
-
Again there are two levels here, and each radically altered the color profile of the onscreen visuals – with the high setting giving everything a nasty green hue.—
Paul Ridden
June 25,
New Atlas,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
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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Though the organization had a history of taking action against (supposedly) immoral ministers, Kunstler had no direct evidence to prove this was the case with Rev. Hall.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
27 June 2025
-
His plan calls for demanding that messages not change more frequently than every four seconds, not include flashing lights and not include obscene, indecent or immoral content.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sordid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sordid. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
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