squalid

[skwol-id, skwaw-lid]

adjective

1. foul and repulsive, as from lack of care or cleanliness; neglected and filthy.

   Synonyms: unclean

2. wretched; miserable; degraded; sordid.

squalid

/ ˈskwɒlɪd, skwɒˈlɪdɪtɪ /

adjective

1. dirty and repulsive, esp as a result of neglect or poverty

2. sordid

Other Word Forms

• squalidly adverb
• squalidness noun
• squalidity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of squalid¹

1585–95; < Latin squālidus dirty, equivalent to squāl ( ēre ) to be dirty, encrusted + -idus -id ⁴

Word History and Origins

Origin of squalid¹

C16: from Latin squālidus, from squālēre to be stiff with dirt

Synonym Study

See dirty.

Example Sentences

Before it was removed, residents say the squalid encampment had developed into a community.

From Los Angeles Times

A 2017 study in Maharashtra found them squeezed into squalid shared rooms, with little sanitation, often facing discrimination at work and in clinics.

From BBC

A class-action lawsuit seeks to end Riverside County’s use of a cash bail system to detain people awaiting trial, alleging high death rates and squalid conditions in the county jails.

From Los Angeles Times

Citing the "squalid" and "inhumane" conditions faced by Palestinians, he urged Israel to immediately allow the unimpeded passage of sufficient aid.

From BBC

Police and social service providers routinely sent homeless people from throughout the city and county to the squalid downtown neighborhood.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dingy 
• fetid 
• filthy 
• grimy 
• muddy 
• musty 
• ramshackle 
• seedy 
• shabby 
• sordid 
• wretched