hovel
noun C2
Plain meaning
a small, dirty, unpleasant place to live
Exam-register meaning
a dwelling presented as miserable, inadequate, or degrading
In context
naturalThe old room was a hovel, with damp walls and broken windows.
examThe memoir contrasts the landlord’s mansion with the hovels occupied by workers.
Common collocations
live in a hovelcramped hovelmiserable hovel
Watch out
Hovel is insulting and vivid; do not use it for a simply small or modest home.
Word family
hovel (like (adjective))