1
: marked by baseness or grossness : vile
sordid motives
3
: meanly avaricious : covetous
4
: of a dull or muddy color
sordidly
adverb
sordidness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of sordid in a Sentence
And Vermes's story is also in part an international thriller, especially with the high-level goings-on around the Scrolls. The full sordid tale of spite, scholarly selfishness, and undisguised anti-Semitism, which kept access to the Dead Sea texts restricted for decades to a tiny cartel, unwinds in his pages.
—
Paula Fredriksen, New Republic, 15 Oct. 2001
Another reporter working to verify the book's charges ended up unmasking author James Hatfield's sordid past, revealing how little the publisher knew about its author …
—Jennifer Greenstein, Brill's Content, February 2000
In fact, audiences now have become so blasé about accounts of celebrities' sordid personal lives that some stars are turning potential publicity nightmares into confessional coups.
—Stephen Rebello, Vibe, May 1999
He shared the sordid details of his past.
he managed to rise above the sordid streets upon which he grew up
Paula Fredriksen, New Republic, 15 Oct. 2001
Another reporter working to verify the book's charges ended up unmasking author James Hatfield's sordid past, revealing how little the publisher knew about its author …
—Jennifer Greenstein, Brill's Content, February 2000
In fact, audiences now have become so blasé about accounts of celebrities' sordid personal lives that some stars are turning potential publicity nightmares into confessional coups.
—Stephen Rebello, Vibe, May 1999
He shared the sordid details of his past.
he managed to rise above the sordid streets upon which he grew up
Recent Examples on the Web
When Democrats complained, Republicans pointed towards the sordid history of Democratic gerrymandering in North Carolina and argued, essentially, that turnabout was fair play.
—Christopher Cooper / Made By History, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024
This particular pair of ruby slippers has a more sordid past than its prop siblings.
—Martin Lerma, Robb Report, 9 Dec. 2024
Koul interviewed Francis at his compound in Mexico about the history of Girls Gone Wild and his sordid history with the company, including alleged assaults.
—Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 3 Dec. 2024
Then—arriving, just as in The Hills of California, from that dreamy place of bigger, brighter lives and their sordid flip side—there’s the baby, Amber (Lauren E. Banks).
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sordid 
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Christopher Cooper / Made By History, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024
This particular pair of ruby slippers has a more sordid past than its prop siblings.
—Martin Lerma, Robb Report, 9 Dec. 2024
Koul interviewed Francis at his compound in Mexico about the history of Girls Gone Wild and his sordid history with the company, including alleged assaults.
—Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 3 Dec. 2024
Then—arriving, just as in The Hills of California, from that dreamy place of bigger, brighter lives and their sordid flip side—there’s the baby, Amber (Lauren E. Banks).
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sordid
Dictionary Entries Near sordid
Cite this Entry
“Sordid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sordid. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sordid
adjective
sor·did
ˈsȯrd-əd 
1
: very dirty : filthy
sordid surroundings
2
: vile sense 1a
a sordid life
3
: meanly greedy : covetous
sordidly
adverb
sordidness
noun
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