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sordide

sordid

adjective sor-DEED Rare

Origin: Latin sordidus (dirty, base)

Also means

squalid

Usage Note

sordide describes both physical squalor (une chambre sordide, a squalid room) and moral depravity (une affaire sordide, a sordid affair). It is invariable in form between masculine and feminine. The noun sordidité (f) is rare but exists for the abstract quality.

Examples

"Ils vivaient dans des conditions sordides."

Natural Translation

They lived in sordid conditions.

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