squalor
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of squalor
1615–25; < Latin squālor dirtiness, equivalent to squāl ( ēre ) to be dirty, encrusted + -or -or 1
Explanation
If something is extremely dirty, filthy, or just plain disgusting, it falls into the territory of the noun squalor. We’re not just talking about a messy room. We’re talking about a grimy dungeon filled with rats and roaches. Squalor comes from the Latin squalere, which means “to be filthy.” This word often refers to living conditions as in, “after the disaster, the people were living in squalor.” It can also describe a city or a building that is in general disrepair such as “ever since the budget cuts, people have moved away and the city has fallen into squalor.”
Vocabulary lists containing squalor
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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.
The court heard that Pereira made allegations of Home Office "corruption", claimed illegal immigrants were employed by the government department and those in the system were living in "squalor".
From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026
Our chickens, on the other hand, are treated abominably, packed in tightly with their germy brethren, raised in squalor, pumped with hormones, and only made clean at the end.
From Slate • Feb. 13, 2026
Dogs that were rescued from squalor are now fighting crime on the streets of Manchester.
From BBC • Sep. 16, 2025
At the 1971 Pan American Games, for example, the athletes lived in squalor while AAU officials stayed in plush hotels.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2025
They provided us deep pleasure, an anodyne to the squalor and clutter of the street.
From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
