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
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
List 4
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Hamilton
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Social reformers saw only crowding and squalor, but black wealth was accruing through the ownership of property.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 7, 2025
The Allies didn’t leave Germany and Japan to stew in their squalor; they had a plan not just for defeating the old regimes but helping to build new ones.
From Slate • Jun. 17, 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
Many of these heroes live in squalor in Los Angeles’s infamous ‘Skid Row.’
From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2025
He lived the life of an aristocratic New Yorker in the squalor of Williamsburg.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
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.
