squalid

adjective

Definition of squalidnext
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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Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective squalid differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of squalid are dirty, filthy, foul, and nasty. While all these words mean "conspicuously unclean or impure," squalid adds to the idea of dirtiness and filth that of slovenly neglect. Distinctively, its figurative use implies sordidness as well as baseness and dirtiness.

squalid slums
engaged in a series of squalid affairs

In what contexts can dirty take the place of squalid?

The words dirty and squalid are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dirty emphasizes the presence of dirt more than an emotional reaction to it or, figuratively, stresses meanness or despicableness.

a dirty littered street
don't ask me to do your dirty work

When could filthy be used to replace squalid?

While the synonyms filthy and squalid are close in meaning, filthy carries a strong suggestion of offensiveness and typically of gradually accumulated dirt that begrimes and besmears. Figuratively, it can also describe disgusting obscenity.

a stained greasy floor, utterly filthy
filthy street language

When can foul be used instead of squalid?

In some situations, the words foul and squalid are roughly equivalent. However, foul implies extreme offensiveness and an accumulation of what is rotten or stinking; it can also describe, for example, loathsome behavior.

a foul-smelling open sewer
a foul story of lust and greed

How does the word nasty relate to other synonyms for squalid?

Nasty applies to what is actually foul or is repugnant to one expecting freshness, cleanliness, or sweetness; in practice, however, nasty is often weakened to the point of being no more than a synonym of unpleasant or disagreeable. When used figuratively, nasty implies a peculiarly offensive unpleasantness.

it's a nasty job to clean up after a sick cat
had a nasty fall
his answer gave her a nasty shock
a stand-up comedian known for nasty humor

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 squalid Crerand was born amid the sometimes squalid and crime-infested streets of the Gorbals area of Glasgow, to Sarah and Michael, of Irish and staunch Roman Catholic faith. — Andy Mitten, New York Times, 13 July 2026 Almost the entire population of Gaza, more than 2 million people, has been squeezed into vast, squalid tent cities dependent on international aid. — Melanie Lidman, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026 An animal rescue group in northwest Indiana is helping care for dozens of guinea pigs, many of which are pregnant, after they were rescued from what police said was a squalid home on Tuesday morning. — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 17 June 2026 Millions have paid heed, with hundreds of thousands seeking refuge in squalid tent camps. — ABC News, 8 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for squalid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squalid
  1. filthy
  2. vile
  3. dusty
  4. pitiful
  5. muddy
  6. contemptible
  7. dirty
  8. disgusting
Adjective
  • People were filthy in so many ways, so Mike really wrote that in.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2026
  • While sinks can become filthy from soap splatters and dirty hands, toilets need cleaning for very different reasons.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of filthy
Adjective
  • Disgusted that any adult would ever consider exploiting a child in such a vile and predatory way.
    — Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • His tenure came to an end when video surfaced of a drunken Galliano berating other customers at a Paris bar with vile antisemitic insults.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of vile
Adjective
  • Choose from more than 20 colors, including dusty pink, fall-ready forest green, and classic cream.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The arc could be, for instance, a chance alignment of unrelated stars, the product of gravitational lensing from a background galaxy, or a dusty region that happens to mimic a stream's shape.
    — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of dusty
Adjective
  • Completing the hat trick in pitiful style, Taking on the World was shot on a shoestring budget, helmed by the man behind Highlander III, and forced to rely on stock footage of real-life footballers.
    — Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026
  • Given the national team’s pitiful demise at the Oval, with New Zealand completing victory on the fifth morning, Ben Stokes’ revival in absentia feels like the only consolation from a miserable week.
    — Hector Vickers, New York Times, 21 June 2026
Definition of pitiful
Adjective
  • The area where travelers went through border control to enter or leave China has been flattened to a muddy area, according to satellite images.
    — Niranjan Shrestha, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • And then there’s the Kiyosaki residence, a rambling Moroccan fantasia with muddy adobe walls and a pink door.
    — Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of muddy
Adjective
  • The scandal rocked the Cry Babies, prompting some to give the singer a new nickname, Felony Martinez, while inciting the majority to pile in against Timothy and dismiss her story as contemptible lies.
    — Matt Thompson, SPIN, 13 July 2026
  • Most people in the anglosphere don’t follow this region, and those who do get their opinions from a small number of people with a contemptible worldview.
    — Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 8 Apr. 2026
Definition of contemptible
Adjective
  • The dogs, according to the charges, had dirty water and their fur was stained with urine and feces.
    — Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Fourth, the handle needed to be patterned for a secure grip even in dirty, wet conditions, so checkering or deep ribbing was added to the alloy metal.
    — David Szondy August 30, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of dirty
Adjective
  • There is real hope of a postseason push, with the disgusting state of the American League leaving the door open for any team that dares to play well.
    — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • This whole situation is discriminatory, disgusting, and quite frankly, Orwellian.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of disgusting

Browse Nearby Words

squads
squalid
squalidness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Squalid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squalid. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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