noun
slum
sluhm
noun
1
A rundown, overcrowded urban area where residents live in poverty.
"The charity built schools in one of the city's largest slums."
verb
1
To visit or spend time in a place seen as beneath one's usual social standing, often out of curiosity.
"The wealthy tourists went slumming in the old market district for the afternoon."
How to Use Slum
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA poor, overcrowded, run-down part of a city.
Common mistake
The verb "to slum it" is casual slang for temporarily accepting worse conditions than you're used to — it can come across as condescending if used carelessly.
Common pairings
live in a slum
urban slum
slum it
Word Forms
slummed past tense, slums plural, slums singular
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The charity built schools in one of the city's largest _____.
Etymology
First recorded in 1812 as slang, originally meaning simply "a room," before narrowing to mean a poor, run-down neighborhood.