plural slums
: a densely populated usually urban area marked especially by poverty
slummed; slumming; slums
: to visit slums especially out of curiosity
broadly
: to go somewhere or do something that might be considered beneath one's station
—sometimes used with it
slumming it in budget hotels
slummer
noun
Examples of slum in a Sentence
Noun
He grew up in the slums of New York.
Verb
He sometimes likes to go slumming in bars around the city.
Recent Examples on the Web
Julie Bourdin, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2024
No way out Muskan and her neighbors in the Delhi slum are not as fortunate.
—Aishwarya S Iyer, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 18 Dec. 2024
The programming and community hub is named for the late Meow Wolf co-founder who spent a lot of time slumming at the mall before heading to Santa Fe to play with trash, sweep floors and lay the groundwork for the group’s expansion.
—James Russell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for slum 
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Noun
As the leader of an advocacy organization representing people from Mayotte, Ms. Soula staunchly supported an operation that the French authorities started last year to destroy the slums and deport undocumented immigrants, most of whom come from the nearby Comoros islands.
—Julie Bourdin, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2024
No way out Muskan and her neighbors in the Delhi slum are not as fortunate.
—Aishwarya S Iyer, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
Seasons 4 and 5 saw the four main characters all get promoted to junior lieutenants, after slumming it as ensigns for the majority of the series.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 18 Dec. 2024
The programming and community hub is named for the late Meow Wolf co-founder who spent a lot of time slumming at the mall before heading to Santa Fe to play with trash, sweep floors and lay the groundwork for the group’s expansion.
—James Russell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for slum
Dictionary Entries Near slum
Cite this Entry
“Slum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slum. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
slum
1 of 2 noun
: a thickly populated section especially of a city marked by crowding, dirty run-down housing, and generally poor living conditions
slum
2 of 2 verb
slummed; slumming
: to visit slums especially out of curiosity
slummer
noun
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