slum
slum — noun
1. A poor section of a city with badly maintained buildings, tightly packed homes,
A poor section of a city with badly maintained buildings, tightly packed homes, and families who struggle to afford basic needs.
Rodrigo grew up in a slum where families shared one tap of water.
past tense: grew up in a slum
The government promised to build new houses in the slums of Mumbai.
collocation: the slums of [city]
Meera volunteered at a school built right in the middle of the city's largest slum.
Life in the slum was hard, but the neighbors always helped each other.
Ayana's family left the slum after her father found work at a factory.
- shantytown
a specific type of slum built from scrap materials like cardboard or corrugated metal
- ghetto
an area where a particular racial or ethnic group is forced to live; often has a stronger social and political meaning than 'slum'
- favela
a slum on a hillside in or near a Brazilian city; geographically specific
- projects
American English; government-built housing for low-income families, not necessarily in bad condition
- affluent neighborhood
a wealthy area with high-quality housing
文法句型
the slums
slums of [city]
用法筆記
Often used in the plural form 'slums' to refer to poor areas of a city in general. The singular 'a slum' refers to a specific area.
常見錯誤
2. A room, house, or other space that is extremely messy, untidy, or dirty.
A room, house, or other space that is extremely messy, untidy, or dirty.
After the party, my bedroom looked like a complete slum.
informal: look like a slum
Chiara refused to work in an office that was such a dirty slum.
Caleb called the kitchen a slum and spent the whole weekend cleaning it.
Adina told her son his room was a slum and she made him clean it.
- palace
informal and humorous; a very clean, tidy, or luxurious place
文法句型
look like a slum
be a slum
用法筆記
This sense is informal and often used humorously or to exaggerate. It describes any space that is in a very untidy state, not just permanent living conditions. More common in British English than American English.
常見錯誤
slum — verb
1. To choose to stay in or experience conditions that are far worse than what someo
To choose to stay in or experience conditions that are far worse than what someone with a comfortable life would normally accept, often for adventure or to save money.
Ayesha decided to slum it in a basic hostel instead of a luxury hotel.
slum it + in [place]
Some tourists slum it at cheap local restaurants to save money on their trip.
Aaron joked that he was slumming it by taking the bus instead of a taxi.
The wealthy photographer went to slum it in a small fishing village for a month.
- rough it
similar meaning, but without the class or condescending implication; to live without usual comforts
文法句型
slum it + in/at [place]
slum it
用法筆記
Almost always used in the fixed phrase 'slum it' or 'slumming it'. Can sound condescending if used to describe visiting poor areas out of curiosity. Avoid using this word when describing someone's actual poverty — it implies a temporary choice by someone with better options.