Sodom

American  

[sod-uhm] / ˈsɒd əm /

noun

1. an ancient city destroyed, with Gomorrah, because of its wickedness. Genesis 18–19.

2. any very sinful, corrupt, vice-ridden place.

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Sodom British  

/ ˈsɒdəm /

noun

1. Old Testament a city destroyed by God for its wickedness that, with Gomorrah, traditionally typifies depravity (Genesis 19:24)

2. this city as representing homosexuality

3. any place notorious for depravity

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Etymology

Origin of Sodom

From Late Latin Sodoma (neuter plural noun), from Greek Sódoma (neuter plural noun), from Hebrew Sĕdōm, of uncertain origin and meaning

Example Sentences

They released one more album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to concentrate on other projects.

From BBC • Oct. 23, 2025

In the 1970s, San Francisco became a welcoming home for tens of thousands of new gay residents—and a modern-day Sodom for the American right.

From Slate • May 22, 2024

Chris Sodom had a career-high nine blocks plus 5 points and nine rebounds.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 30, 2022

But Spitzer’s weak-salsa hashtag, I continued, was the latest entry in a decades-long obsession by Orange County residents to slam L.A. as Sodom while holding up O.C. as a perpetual Eden.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2022

And what do they mean by Sodom and Gomorrah?

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank