cesspool

American  

[ses-pool] / ˈsɛsˌpul /

noun

1. a cistern, well, or pit for retaining the sediment of a drain or for receiving the sewage from a house.

2. any filthy receptacle or place.

3. any place of moral filth or immorality.

   a cesspool of iniquity.

---

cesspool British  

/ ˈsɛsˌpuːl, ˈsɛsˌpɪt /

noun

1. Also called: sink.   sump.  a covered cistern, etc, for collecting and storing sewage or waste water

2. a filthy or corrupt place

   a cesspool of iniquity

---

Etymology

Origin of cesspool

1575–85; cess (< Italian cesso privy < Latin rēcessus recess, place of retirement) + pool ¹

Example Sentences

It was into the post-noughties misogynist cesspool that the early feminist blogosphere was born, and initially, it was fun and freewheeling.

From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026

Some people, however, go as far as creating burner accounts just for shopping to keep the cesspool of targeted ads separate from their main profiles where they interact with family and friends.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 10, 2025

Aronofsky clearly adores this colorful pre-millennial cesspool, even if the characters in the movie are already grumbling that Rudy Giuliani is scrubbing the life out of the place.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 28, 2025

That’s a slippery slope into a cesspool I’d prefer to avoid.

From Salon • Feb. 15, 2025

A body of water that remains stagnant is just a cesspool, mi amor!

From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi