: the quality or state of being squalid
Examples of squalor in a Sentence
The family was living in squalor.
I was shocked by the squalor of their surroundings.
Recent Examples on the Web
They are often banned from visiting temples and forced to live apart from higher-caste communities, often in squalor and farther from access to services.
—
Esha Mitra, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025
The writer-director revisits an idea that worked well in his screenplay for 2002’s Chicago — paralleling squalor and splendor, with central characters stuck in grim reality seeking escape through Golden Age Hollywood musical fantasy.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Bryant was arrested on Friday after sheriff's deputies found three of her children living in squalor in a condominium.
—Gina Kaufman, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2025
Residents of the building, which is owned by an affiliate of CBZ Management, all moved out by Tuesday under a closure order, but, until then, many had laid their heads to sleep in squalor.
—Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, The Denver Post, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squalor
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Esha Mitra, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025
The writer-director revisits an idea that worked well in his screenplay for 2002’s Chicago — paralleling squalor and splendor, with central characters stuck in grim reality seeking escape through Golden Age Hollywood musical fantasy.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Bryant was arrested on Friday after sheriff's deputies found three of her children living in squalor in a condominium.
—Gina Kaufman, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2025
Residents of the building, which is owned by an affiliate of CBZ Management, all moved out by Tuesday under a closure order, but, until then, many had laid their heads to sleep in squalor.
—Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, The Denver Post, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squalor
Articles Related to squalor
Cite this Entry
“Squalor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/squalor. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
squalor
noun
squa·lor
ˈskwäl-ər 
: filthy or degraded conditions resulting from neglect or lack of money
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