squal‧id /ˈskwɒləd, ˈskwɒlɪd $ ˈskwɑː-/
adjective[
Date: 1500-1600;
Language: Latin;
Origin: squalidus, from squalere 'to be dirty', from squalus 'dirty']
1. very dirty and unpleasant because of a lack of care or money ⇒
squalor:
How can anyone live in such squalid conditions? a tiny squalid apartment2. especially British English immoral or dishonest:
squalid behaviour a squalid affair [TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲
dirty not clean:
His clothes were untidy and he had dirty hands.filthy very dirty:
Each year filthy water causes millions of cases of illness.muddy covered with mud:
It had been raining hard and the path was muddy.dusty covered with dust:
the dusty shelves in the atticgreasy covered with oil or grease:
Greasy food is bad for your health.grubby (
also mucky British English)
informal fairly dirty and needing to be cleaned or washed:
He was wearing a grubby white T-shirt. mucky fingersgrimy covered with thick dirt or dirt that has been there a long time:
I couldn’t see much out of the grimy windows of the train.dingy /ˈdɪndʒi/ looking dark, dirty, and unpleasant. Used about rooms, houses, and buildings:
We worked in a dingy little office behind the station.polluted used about land, water, or air that has been made dirty:
85% of city dwellers breathe heavily polluted air.contaminated made dirty by a dangerous substance or bacteria:
The virus is mainly spread through contaminated food.squalid /ˈskwɒləd, ˈskwɒlɪd $ ˈskwɑː-/
formal extremely dirty and unpleasant. Used about the place or conditions in which someone lives:
People are living in squalid conditions, with little water and no sanitation.unhygienic /ʌnhaɪˈdʒiːnɪk◂ $ -ˈdʒe-, -ˈdʒiː-/
formal used about dirty conditions that are likely to cause disease, especially conditions in kitchens, restaurants, and hospitals:
The food was prepared under unhygienic conditions.unsanitary (
also insanitary British English)
formal used about dirty conditions that are likely to cause disease, especially because there is not a good system for getting rid of waste:
People’s health is being threatened by overcrowded and insanitary homes. They work for long hours in unsanitary conditions.soiled formal made dirty, especially by waste from your body:
Soiled nappies should be changed as quickly as possible. [TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲