sordid
Base and shameful
Sordid describes something morally degraded, base, or repugnantly selfish: the sordid details of the affair, a sordid scheme to defraud elderly investors.
It suggests not just wrongdoing but a particular grubbiness—petty motives, tawdry circumstances, or degrading conditions.
Sordid can also mean filthy or squalid in a physical sense: a sordid little room.
The moral and physical meanings reinforce each other.
Coated in stubborn dirt
- filthyThoroughly unclean
- dingyDiscolored from grime
- shabbyWorn and neglected
- rundownQuick overview of facts
seedy · sleazy · tawdry · dilapidated · decrepit · ramshackle · foul · fetid
Corrupted by indulgence
- immoralContrary to ethical principles
- vileExtremely unpleasant or bad
- wickedEvil or slang-excellent
- sinfulViolating moral law
degenerate · dissolute · profligate · decadent · perverse · licentious · lascivious · lewd
Corrupt payment for influence
- graftIllicit political gain
- embezzlementFraudulent taking of entrusted assets
- kickbackIllegal payment for services
- extortionObtaining through threats
nepotism · cronyism · malfeasance · fraud · collusion · racketeering · profiteering · underhanded
Excessively wanting more
- avariciousExcessively desirous of wealth
- money-grubbingObsessively seeking wealth
- graspingGreedy for wealth
- venalOpen to bribes
selfish · materialistic · acquisitive · exploitative · profiteering · usurious · rapacious · calculating
grimy
Coated in stubborn dirt
rundown · seedy · sleazy · tawdry · dilapidated · decrepit · ramshackle · foul · fetid · squalor
debauched
Corrupted by indulgence
sinful · degenerate · dissolute · profligate · decadent · perverse · licentious · lascivious · lewd · lecherous
bribery
Corrupt payment for influence
- graftIllicit political gain
- embezzlementFraudulent taking of entrusted assets
- kickbackIllegal payment for services
extortion · nepotism · cronyism · malfeasance · fraud · collusion · racketeering · profiteering · underhanded · dishonesty
greedy
Excessively wanting more
- avariciousExcessively desirous of wealth
- money-grubbingObsessively seeking wealth
- graspingGreedy for wealth
venal · selfish · materialistic · acquisitive · exploitative · profiteering · usurious · rapacious · calculating · opportunistic
sordidnoble
Titled or virtuous
honorable · honourable · upright · virtuous · principled