slum

1 of 2

noun

plural slums
: a densely populated usually urban area marked especially by poverty

slum

2 of 2

verb

slummed; slumming; slums

intransitive verb

: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
From the slums of Victorian London, the Baker Street Four of the series are Billy, who see himself as the brains of the band of urchins, Tom, an acrobat and ace pickpocket, and Charlotte, the resourceful one of the group. Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2025 The crackdown on those who are neither registered with the UNHCR nor awaiting resettlement to a third country is continuing in phases, with thousands of Afghans sheltering in safehouses and slums hoping to resist repatriation to their home country. Sophia Saifi, CNN, 6 Feb. 2025
Verb
No one had any right to expect much of this new Ocean’s Eleven, which on paper looked like a smug cavalcade of Hollywood royalty slumming their way through an ultra-stylish crime caper. Tim Grierson, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for slum

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

1825, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1884, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of slum was in 1825

Browse Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

“Slum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slum. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

Kids 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

More from Merriam-Webster on slum

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!