squalor

noun

Definition of squalornext
as in staining
very bad and dirty conditions The family was living in squalor. I was shocked by the squalor of their surroundings.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of squalor Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund's film feels like a good novel, with art, crime, love, and squalor all intersecting in a cohesive story that manages to astonish. — Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026 But their living situation could fairly be described as squalor. — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 26 May 2026 But does the vitality mask the squalor or the squalor the vitality? — Spin Team, SPIN, 20 Apr. 2026 And while these tenants paid their rent month after month, some of them up to $900 a month to live in squalor. — Nikki Dementri, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for squalor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squalor
  1. staining
  2. dinge
  3. dirtiness
  4. sordidness
  5. messiness
Noun
  • However, if the staining is heavy or set-in, use 1/4 cup of powder per gallon of water.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 14 June 2026
  • To further prevent obvious staining, choose darker flooring that won't show mud and dirt as easily.
    — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 June 2026
Definition of staining
Noun
  • An earnest, has-a-costume-for-everything kind of guy, Daub is allergic to the greige and the dinge.
    — Sandra Upson, Wired, 18 Jan. 2021
Definition of dinge
Noun
  • For Damien dirtiness brought him closer to godliness, the grime evidence of his graft.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026
  • That’s the dirtiness of rugs and pulling.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 13 Apr. 2026
Definition of dirtiness
Noun
  • The only other person in the 21st century who might’ve had as uncanny an ability to look beneath the sordidness and sorrow of red carpets and walks of fame to find truth and even poetry might be David Lynch.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 23 July 2026
  • Fennell continues to have a gift for exposing the sordidness of money and power.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Definition of sordidness
Noun
  • Choreographed spectacle is easier, in some sense, than contending with the messiness of the workaday world.
    — Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Consider the mature height and width of your tree before planting it, as well as any potential problems with messiness or invasive roots.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 31 July 2026
Definition of messiness

Browse Nearby Words

squally
squalor
squamous
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Cite this Entry

“Squalor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squalor. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on squalor

Nglish: Translation of squalor for Spanish Speakers

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