1
: marked by baseness or grossness : vile
sordid motives
3
: meanly avaricious : covetous
4
: of a dull or muddy color
sordidly
adverb
sordidness
noun
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
But the bigger question may be what the sordid Yaccarino-MechaHitler episode has to say about the current path that the tech industry is on—both within Elon Inc. and in the industry more broadly.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 10 July 2025
But McClain’s lawyers said he should not be made the scapegoat for whatever prosecutors think about the state’s sordid history of public corruption, noting that McClain has not held public office himself for more than 30 years.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2025
Owning up to Chavez Ravine’s sordid history would be a great step.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025
More Than a Third of Hotels Used to Shelter Homeless People Were Out of Date on Social Services Inspections as of October 2024
New York Focus and ProPublica found numerous examples of families with children living in sordid and dangerous conditions.
—Spencer Norris, ProPublica, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sordid
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Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 10 July 2025
But McClain’s lawyers said he should not be made the scapegoat for whatever prosecutors think about the state’s sordid history of public corruption, noting that McClain has not held public office himself for more than 30 years.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2025
Owning up to Chavez Ravine’s sordid history would be a great step.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025
More Than a Third of Hotels Used to Shelter Homeless People Were Out of Date on Social Services Inspections as of October 2024
New York Focus and ProPublica found numerous examples of families with children living in sordid and dangerous conditions.
—Spencer Norris, ProPublica, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sordid
Cite this Entry
“Sordid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sordid. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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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