sordid

adjective

sor·​did ˈsȯr-dəd 

1

: marked by baseness or grossness : vile

sordid motives

2

a

: dirty, filthy

b

: wretched, squalid

3

: meanly avaricious : covetous

4

: of a dull or muddy color

sordidly adverb

sordidness noun

Synonyms

• bedraggled
• befouled
• begrimed
• bemired
• besmirched
• black
• blackened
• cruddy
• dingy
• dirty
• draggled
• dusty
• filthy
• foul
• grimy
• grotty [chiefly British]
• grubby
• grungy
• mucky
• muddy
• nasty
• smudged
• smutty
• soiled
• stained
• sullied
• unclean
• uncleanly

Choose the Right Synonym for sordid

mean, ignoble, abject, sordid mean being below the normal standards of human decency and dignity.

mean suggests small-mindedness, ill temper, or cupidity.

mean and petty satire

ignoble suggests a loss or lack of some essential high quality of mind or spirit.

an ignoble scramble after material possessions

abject may imply degradation, debasement, or servility.

abject poverty

sordid is stronger than all of these in stressing physical or spiritual degradation and abjectness.

a sordid story of murder and revenge

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

Recent Examples on the Web

The play is not for anyone offended by the c word, the f word, or other assorted sordid sundries. —Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2025

Hegseth also promised to stop drinking if confirmed, amid sordid allegations about his history with alcohol. —Zachary Basu, Axios, 12 Jan. 2025

Subscriber Exclusive Also: From Howie Carr, the sordid history of the Governor’s Council The tale of a local option fee on high-dollar property sales is likely far from over as debate over housing policy starts to reach a boiling point on Beacon Hill. —Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 21 Dec. 2024

The sordid origin story of infidelity that explains Elphaba’s birth and dysfunctional family taints everything that follows. —Armond White, National Review, 27 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin sordidus, from sordes dirt — more at swart

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids 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