1
as in filthy
severely lacking in cleanliness
The squalid boarding house was overrun with rats.
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2
as in vile
not moral or honest
The whole squalid affair will rightly end the politician's public career.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of squalid
Millions have paid heed, with hundreds of thousands seeking refuge in squalid tent camps.
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ABC News,
8 June 2026
The federal government and the city’s creditors had demanded budget cuts, which in turn exacerbated the already squalid conditions around the city.
—
Kevin Lozano,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
Haitian women are having babies in squalid, unsupervised settings after the Dominican Republic started sending immigration agents to detain migrants at hospitals.
—
Alexandra Stevenson Luis Ferré-Sadurní Paul Mozur David French,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Half Moon Bay, a San Mateo County coastal city of just over 11,000 residents, gained national attention in 2023 when a mass shooting at a farm labor camp exposed the squalid living conditions of farmworkers in the area.
—
Ryan MacAsero,
Mercury News,
29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for squalid
ABC News,
8 June 2026
The federal government and the city’s creditors had demanded budget cuts, which in turn exacerbated the already squalid conditions around the city.
—
Kevin Lozano,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
Haitian women are having babies in squalid, unsupervised settings after the Dominican Republic started sending immigration agents to detain migrants at hospitals.
—
Alexandra Stevenson Luis Ferré-Sadurní Paul Mozur David French,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Half Moon Bay, a San Mateo County coastal city of just over 11,000 residents, gained national attention in 2023 when a mass shooting at a farm labor camp exposed the squalid living conditions of farmworkers in the area.
—
Ryan MacAsero,
Mercury News,
29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for squalid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squalid
Adjective
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And a great bench of freelancers is making this all-American game feel dramatic, approachable, and exciting—even to filthy casuals.
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But, the freedom loving sane people of this great country came to Karoline's defense to show support, destroy the filthy LIBS and celebrate the greatest press secretary this country has ever employed.
Adjective
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Powerful, rich people filled the lawn to watch a violent sport that ended with a vile and racist comment.
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That person is referring to heavyweight Josh Hokit, who is facing widespread backlash for making a vile joke about former first lady Michelle Obama after winning his match over Derrick Lewis.
Adjective
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Looking for a heritage bolt of fabric without having to comb through the dusty shelves of an antiques store?
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On the dusty backroads of Radiator Springs, where Lightning McQueen and his pals live, a shower of meteors threatened to bring destruction upon the quarter-size cars in a scene that disaster movie king Roland Emmerich would endorse.
Adjective
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Trump has made a pitiful shambles of what should have been a glorious moment.
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With his country flailing in their pitiful attempts to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, at the age of 33, Zidane underwent his change of heart.
Adjective
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The rapid spread of the disease is exacerbated by the nature of gold mining, which involves muddy pits filled with miners surrounding the town.
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Catfish and carp, on the other hand, are true bottom feeders, hence the muddy flavor injection in their flesh.
Adjective
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Predictions: Jamie Bell, Charlie Hunnam, Oscar Isaac, Matthew Macfadyen, Matthew Rhys A loaded category is headlined by Carey Mulligan’s fierce, contemptible, often hilarious performance as Oscar Isaac’s fed-up wife in Beef.
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The habits that sustain this treaty and this climate are precisely those that radicals on all sides find contemptible: compromise, procedural fidelity, the refusal to go for broke.
Adjective
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Those who have sustained a severe burn or dirty wound should follow up with a booster after five years, according to the CDC.
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Down Pennsylvania Avenue, a man in a karate gi, disposable gloves, and dirty white sneakers was hauling a cart by means of a homemade yoke strapped across his shoulders.
Adjective
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Get a room, this is disgusting!
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And, to me, there’s nothing more disgusting than an airplane bathroom.
Cite this Entry
“Squalid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squalid. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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