Sordid is an adjective describing actions, places, or motives that are morally ignoble, dirty, or squalid. It conveys a sense of disgraceful, sordid behavior or surroundings, often associated with corruption, sleaze, or grime. The term carries a critical, negative connotation and is typically used in formal or literary contexts to emphasize moral unattractiveness.
"The detective uncovered the sordid details of the case, including bribery and cover‑ups."
"He told a sordid tale of crime and betrayal that shocked the community."
"The once-grand mansion had fallen into a sordid state, its walls stained and neglected."
"Journalists exposed the sordid dealings of the corporation, revealing fraud and exploitation."
Sordid comes from the Latin sordidus, meaning dirty, filthy, or sordid, related to sorde ‘soil, filth’ and sordēs ‘filth, dirt’. The transition from Latin to English maintained the sense of moral and physical dirtiness. In Early Modern English, sordid began to mean morally ignoble and degrading, often describing actions, motives, or persons as contaminated or base. The word’s usage expanded in the 18th and 19th centuries to emphasize scandalous or disreputable behavior, not just physical grime. The core emotional charge is a combination of physical dirt and moral corruptness. First known use in English dates to the 15th century, with insular and literary uses evolving through Shakespearean and Victorian prose, where characters were described as having sordid secrets or sordid ambitions. Today, sordid retains strong moral overtones and is common in journalism, critique, and formal writing when condemning unethical conduct or deplorable living conditions.
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Words that rhyme with "Sordid"
-aid sounds
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Pronounce it as ˈsɔr.dɪd in US and UK; the first syllable rhymes with 'saw' and is stressed, the second is a short, unstressed 'dihd' (d-ih-d). In connected speech, the tensed vowel can be slightly shortened, but keep the /ɔː/ in the first syllable clear. Audio reference: you can hear the pronunciation on Pronounce or Forvo using the IPA guidance.
Common errors: misplacing stress (say it as 'sor-DID'), mispronouncing the first vowel as a short 'a' as in 'cot' instead of the open-mid back unrounded /ɔ/; and adding a trailing schwa in casual speech ('sord-uhd'). Correction: keep stress on the first syllable, use /ɔ/ for the first vowel, and end with a crisp /d/ without extra vowel sound.
In US and UK, the first syllable uses a broad /ɔː/ or /ɔr/ sound with primary stress; US often merges with /ɔr/ in rhotics, UK maintains clearer /ɔː/ with non-rhoticity. Australian pronunciation aligns with UK/US patterns but vowels may be shorter and less diphthongal. Final /d/ remains a soft dental/alveolar stop in all, with vowel timing slightly crisper in American English.
The challenge lies in producing the open-mid back vowel /ɔ/ in the first syllable, which many learners substitute with /ɑ/ or /æ/. Additionally, maintaining a clean, single /d/ at the end without linking or adding a vowel can be tricky in rapid speech. Practicing with minimal pairs helps ensure the vowel and final consonant stay distinct.
The word’s first syllable combines a rounded back vowel with a post-vocalic 'r' in rhotic accents. In non-rhotic accents, the /r/ is not pronounced after the vowel, changing the perceived vowel length and quality. This makes the word sound subtly different across regions, especially in connected speech where /r/ may be silent or approximated.
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