Word
ghetto
Phoneticsghet·to, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɡɛtoʊ/
UK/ɡˈɛtəʊ/
Definitions
01ethnic or poor urban area
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a part of a city where many people of the same race or ethnic group live, often in poor conditions.
n. a densely populated slum area of a city inhabited predominantly by a minority group or groups, often as a result of social or economic restrictions.
“The government is trying to improve housing in the city's poorest ghettos.”
“Sociologists argue that systemic redlining effectively created urban ghettos by preventing minority families from securing mortgages in other neighbourhoods.”
Synonyms
02historical Jewish quarter
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. an area of a city where Jewish people were forced to live in the past.
n. a quarter of a city in which Jews were formerly required to live by law, particularly in medieval Italy or Nazi-occupied Europe.
“Visitors can still see the gates of the old Jewish ghetto in Venice.”
“The liquidation of the Warsaw Ghetto remains one of the most tragic and well-documented chapters of the Holocaust.”
03low quality or cheap
C1 · Advanced Informal · Slang
adj. something that looks cheap, broken, or poor quality.
adj. describing something perceived as low-quality, makeshift, or unrefined. Often carries derogatory class-based or racial connotations.
“He used a ghetto setup with duct tape to fix his broken car window.”
“The students joked about their ghetto apartment, which featured a milk crate for a coffee table and a leaky ceiling.”
Teaching tip
This usage can be offensive as it often mocks poverty or relies on racial stereotypes; learners should use it with extreme caution.
Antonyms
04to isolate a group
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to force a group of people to live in a certain area or stay in a certain social level.
v. to restrict or confine a particular group to a specific area or a lower social status.
“The new laws threatened to ghetto the immigrant population even further.”
“By failing to provide adequate public transport, the city council effectively ghettoed the residents of the outer suburbs.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and usually takes a human group as its object.
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“He grew up in the ghetto, became a global superstar – then gave it all up.” “Perl and most of her family were rounded up and sent to the crowded Sighet Ghetto.” Etymology
Borrowed from the name of the Venetian Ghetto, whose etymology and original source language is uncertain. Compare Italian ghetto.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. ghetto bird
02. ghetto lottery
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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