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
Also located Downtown, The Mob Museum takes visitors on a wild ride through sordid acts of organized crime in town and worldwide.
—Melinda Sheckells, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Nov. 2024
Still, the event’s sordid history remains top of mind.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 1 Nov. 2024
Just hours before the grand jury reconvened in the increasingly sordid Combs’ case, the prosecution filed a long and detailed response Wednesday night addressing the defense’s desire to have the names of Combs’ accusers made public.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2024
The Islamic Republic’s sordid proxy war with the West may now be leaving it open to an all-out attack as Israel attempts to eliminate its enemies throughout the region.
—Christopher De Bellaigue, The New York Review of Books, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sordid 
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Melinda Sheckells, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Nov. 2024
Still, the event’s sordid history remains top of mind.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 1 Nov. 2024
Just hours before the grand jury reconvened in the increasingly sordid Combs’ case, the prosecution filed a long and detailed response Wednesday night addressing the defense’s desire to have the names of Combs’ accusers made public.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2024
The Islamic Republic’s sordid proxy war with the West may now be leaving it open to an all-out attack as Israel attempts to eliminate its enemies throughout the region.
—Christopher De Bellaigue, The New York Review of Books, 31 Oct. 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 1 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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