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Synonyms

dunghill

American  
[duhng-hil] / ˈdʌŋˌhɪl /

noun

  1. a heap of dung.

  2. a repugnantly filthy or degraded place, abode, or situation.


dunghill British  
/ ˈdʌŋˌhɪl /

noun

  1. a heap of dung

  2. a foul place, condition, or person

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of dunghill

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; dung, hill

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He once described himself to one of his children as “a machine condemned to devour books and then throw them, in a changed form, on the dunghill of history.”

From The New Yorker • Oct. 3, 2016

Jefferson said the work was like extracting diamonds from a dunghill.

From Salon • May 31, 2012

There he was," said a bitter rival, "crowing like a cock upon his own dunghill.

From Time Magazine Archive

Outside New Delhi, where one Indian critic relegated it to "the dunghill of propaganda," Maxwell's assessment is widely accepted.

From Time Magazine Archive

When he brought them back he cleaned and swept their stall, and then re-entered the dunghill.

From Santal Folk Tales by Campbell, A.