Cesspool: meaning, definitions and examples

Use 'cesspool' when referring to a place filled with filth or corruption, often used metaphorically to describe a morally corrupt environment.

• Many consider the political world to be a cesspool of betrayal and corruption.
• The abandoned building became a cesspool of illegal activities over the years.

Use 'sewer' to refer specifically to an underground conduit for carrying off drainage water and waste. It is also used to describe something extremely dirty or corrupt.

• The rainwater flowed into the city's sewer system.
• The corrupt organization was a sewer of deceit and dishonesty.

A 'pit' commonly refers to a large hole in the ground. It can also metaphorically refer to a situation that feels like a difficult or inescapable condition.

• They dug a pit in the backyard for the new tree.
• He felt like he was stuck in a pit of despair with no escape.

The word 'dump' is best used to describe a place where garbage is taken and discarded. It can also refer to a dreary, neglected place.

• They took the broken furniture to the local dump.
• The abandoned building looked like a dump; it was dirty and run-down.

This word is similar to 'cesspool' and can be used interchangeably. It often denotes a literal pit for sewage or metaphorically signifies a place of filth and corruption.

• The old factory site was a cesspit of toxic waste and chemicals.
• Her office, filled with malicious gossip and deceit, was a cesspit of negativity.

Used to describe a literal pit used for the disposal of sewage and waste or metaphorically to depict a place or situation filled with filth or corruption.

• The backyard had a hidden cesspool from the old septic system.
• The company was a cesspool of corruption and fraud.

Refers to a complicated or confusing situation that is difficult to escape or resolve, often used metaphorically.

• The project turned into a morass of paperwork and bureaucratic red tape.
• She found herself in a moral morass, unsure of the right path to take.

Describes a difficult, complicated, or hazardous situation from which it is hard to escape, often with a sense of being stuck. Can also describe literal swampy ground.

• The military operation turned into a quagmire, with no easy way out.
• After the heavy rain, the path became a quagmire, making walking very difficult.

Primarily refers to a depression or hole in the ground caused by collapse of the surface layer, but can also be used metaphorically to describe a situation where resources or efforts are continuously drained with little return.

• A huge sinkhole appeared in the middle of the road after the storm.
• The project became a financial sinkhole, absorbing more money than it generated.