Standard Lemma guide

squalor

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈskwɒlə(ɹ)/
  • US: /ˈskwɑlɚ/
  • UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɒlə(ɹ)
  • homophone: squaller (cot–caught merger)
  • CMU ARPABET: S K W AA1 L ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Filthiness and degradation, as from neglect or poverty

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: squalidness, foulness, filthiness, squalidity

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

sordid dirtiness

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sordidness, squalidness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: dirtiness, uncleanness

History

Etymology

From the Latin squālor.

Across languages

Translations

47 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: мръсотия (mrǎsotija) — squalidness
  • Bulgarian: мизерия (mizerija) — squalidness
  • Catalan: misèria — squalidness
  • Catalan: indigència — squalidness
  • Chinese Mandarin: 骯髒 /肮脏 (āngzāng) — squalidness
  • Czech: špína — squalidness
  • Czech: bída — squalidness
  • Danish: snusk — squalidness
  • Danish: smuds — squalidness
  • Dutch: weerzinwekkende vuiligheid — squalidness
  • Dutch: miserabele omstandigheden — squalidness
  • Finnish: surkeus — squalidness
  • Finnish: kurjuus — squalidness
  • French: saleté repoussante — squalidness
  • French: conditions misérables — squalidness
  • Galician: rafa — squalidness
  • Galician: laceira — squalidness
  • Galician: pioca — squalidness
  • Galician: caiñeza — squalidness
  • Galician: gafura — squalidness
  • German: Schmutz — squalidness
  • German: Elend — squalidness
  • German: Vernachlässigung — squalidness
  • German: Ärmlichkeit — squalidness
  • German: Dreck — squalidness
  • German: Verschmutzung — squalidness
  • German: Unreinheit — squalidness
  • German: Verderbtheit — squalidness
  • German: Verkommenheit — squalidness
  • Hungarian: nyomor — squalidness
  • Hungarian: mocsok — squalidness
  • Hungarian: nélkülözés — squalidness
  • Latin: squālor — squalidness
  • Māori: hawa — squalidness
  • Polish: plugastwo — squalidness
  • Polish: brud — squalidness
  • Portuguese: esqualidez — squalidness
  • Portuguese: esqualor — squalidness
  • Russian: грязь (grjazʹ) — squalidness
  • Russian: убо́жество (ubóžestvo) — squalidness
  • Spanish: miseria — squalidness
  • Spanish: inmundicia — squalidness
  • Swedish: misär — squalidness
  • Swedish: elände — squalidness
  • Swedish: smuts — squalidness
  • Swedish: lort — squalidness
  • Swedish: snusk — squalidness