squalor

[skwol-er, skwaw-ler]

noun

1. the condition of being squalid; filth and misery.

   Synonyms: wretchedness
   Antonyms: splendor

squalor

/ ˈskwɒlə /

noun

1. the condition or quality of being squalid; disgusting dirt and filth

Word History and Origins

Origin of squalor¹

1615–25; < Latin squālor dirtiness, equivalent to squāl ( ēre ) to be dirty, encrusted + -or -or ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of squalor¹

C17: from Latin

Example Sentences

Social reformers saw only crowding and squalor, but black wealth was accruing through the ownership of property.

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Dogs that were rescued from squalor are now fighting crime on the streets of Manchester.

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National Guard to combat what he called “crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor.”

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On Monday, in remarks filled with falsehoods and misleading statements, the president announced a federal takeover of Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department to root out “crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor.”

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At a press conference, he declared "Liberation Day" for the city and pledged to "rescue our nation's capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse".

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Related Words

• decay 
• destitution 
• starvation