Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • (Biblical): An ancient city, described in the Old Testament of the Bible, that was destroyed by God along with the city of Gomorrah due to the extreme wickedness and sinfulness of its inhabitants. It is traditionally located near the Dead Sea.
   • (Figurative): Any place or community notorious for extreme vice, immorality, or corruption.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun (Biblical):

  • The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is a warning against moral depravity.
  • According to the Book of Genesis, Sodom was destroyed by fire and brimstone.

• Proper noun (Figurative):

  • The corrupt port city was described as a modern Sodom by the reformers.
  • Critics called the decadent capital a Sodom of greed and vice.

Advanced Usage

• "a Sodom and Gomorrah": Used as a pair to describe a situation or place of utter corruption and depravity.
  • The scandal revealed the department to be a veritable Sodom and Gomorrah of bribery.

Variants and Related Words

• Sodomite (noun, archaic): Historically, an inhabitant of Sodom. In some historical religious contexts, it was used to refer to someone who engages in specific sexual acts, deriving from the biblical narrative.
• Sodomy (noun): A legal and historical term for certain sexual acts, often anal intercourse. The term originates from the biblical story of Sodom.

Synonyms

• Den of iniquity: A place known for immoral activities.
• Sin city: A city or place famous for vice and entertainment related to vice.
• Babylon (figurative): Often used similarly to represent a place of luxury, corruption, and sin.

Related Idioms

• "Like Sodom and Gomorrah": Behaving in an utterly wicked or corrupt manner, often implying impending destruction or downfall.
  • If the corruption continues, this town will end up like Sodom and Gomorrah.

Noun

1. (Old Testament) an ancient city near the Dead Sea that (along with Gomorrah) was destroyed by God for the wickedness of its inhabitants
2. any location known for vice and corruption