, while filthy and foul describe disgusting obscenity or loathsome behavior
filthy street language
a foul story of lust and greed
, and nasty implies a peculiarly offensive unpleasantness.
a stand-up comedian known for nasty humor
Distinctively, squalid implies sordidness as well as baseness and dirtiness.
engaged in a series of squalid affairs
Example Sentences
The family lived in squalid conditions.
Recent Examples on the WebBut seeing it on film — the violence, the squalid conditions and the arson fires that accompanied the end of the weekend — is graphic and disturbing. David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Sep. 2022 Low-income tenants at the property, which is next to the Congress Heights Metro station, had for years been living in squalid conditions, including persistent mold and pests that were never addressed. Teo Armus, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2022 Refugees crowded into squalid camps is not a new mental image. Ariel Cohen, Forbes, 14 Aug. 2022 Several of her family members are among the 900,000 Rohingya who have been living in squalid refugee camps in Bangladesh, where food insecurity and crime reportedly have surged since the start of the pandemic. Rebecca Tan, Washington Post, 22 July 2022 Tens of thousands have now been confined to squalid displacement camps for a decade. Reuters, CNN, 22 July 2022 Several of her family members are among the 900,000 Rohingya who have been living in squalid refugee camps in Bangladesh, where food insecurity and crime reportedly have surged since the start of the pandemic. Rebecca Tan, BostonGlobe.com, 22 July 2022 Hundreds of migrants have been sleeping outdoors in squalid conditions just outside Ter Apel because the asylum center there is too full to house them. Mike Corder, ajc, 26 Aug. 2022 These findings and others came from an extensive review of the events of Sept. 19, when about 15,000 mostly Haitian migrants had gathered in squalid conditions underneath a bridge in Del Rio after crossing into the country from Mexico. Eileen Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, 9 July 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Latin squalidus rough, dirty, from squalēre to be covered with scales or dirt, from squalus dirty; perhaps akin to Latin squama scale