ghetto
gb/ɡˈɛtoʊ/ us/ɡˈɛtoʊ/
B2
English
gettó, szegénynegyed, szegregátum, gettósít, gettóba szorít
NOUN
B2
1
gettó
B2
Usage pattern:
in a/the ghetto; a ghetto of [city/area]
The charity runs after-school programs for kids in the ghetto.
A segélyszervezet iskola utáni programokat szervez a gettóban élő gyerekeknek.
He grew up in a ghetto neighborhood with few job opportunities.
Egy gettóban nőtt fel, ahol kevés volt a munkalehetőség.
City leaders promised new clinics and safer housing in the ghetto.
Learner examples
She grew up in a poor ghetto.
Egy szegény gettóban nőtt fel.
They want to improve life in the ghetto.
Jobbá akarják tenni az életet a gettóban.
Common mistake:
Avoid using it casually to describe something simply 'bad' or 'cheap'; that use is often offensive (see adjective sense).
Meaning
poor urban neighborhood
Collocations
inner-city ghetto
|urban ghetto
|a ghetto neighborhood
|grow up in the ghetto
|live in a ghetto
|leave the ghetto
|ghetto poverty
|ghetto conditions
|ghetto schools
|ghetto housing
Synonyms
slum (Often focuses on poor housing conditions; can be broader and strongly negative.)
|
inner city (Broader and less specific; not necessarily as negative or segregated.)
Antonyms
affluent neighborhood (An area where residents are generally wealthy and services are better.)
Themes
society
|cities
|housing
|inequality
Definition
a poor area in a city where life is difficult
A part of a city where many people are poor and living conditions and public services are often worse than in other areas.
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
2
gettó
B2
Usage pattern:
the ghetto; the [city] ghetto
The museum exhibit explains daily life in the Venetian ghetto.
A múzeumi kiállítás bemutatja a velencei gettó mindennapi életét.
Families were restricted to the ghetto and faced curfews and barriers.
A családok csak a gettóban lakhattak, és kijárási tilalommal meg korlátozásokkal kellett szembenézniük.
He researched the history of Jewish communities formed in city ghettos.
Learner examples
The old ghetto was inside the city walls.
A régi gettó a városfalakon belül volt.
Common mistake:
Do not assume it always refers to Jewish history; in modern speech it more often refers to poor urban areas.
Meaning
historical Jewish quarter
Collocations
the Jewish ghetto
|the Venice ghetto
|medieval ghetto
|Renaissance ghetto
|a walled ghetto
|ghetto gates
Synonyms
Jewish quarter (More neutral and descriptive; does not always imply coercion.)
Antonyms
integrated neighborhood (An area where groups are not separated by policy or custom.)
Themes
history
|society
|religion
|cities
Definition
a city area where Jewish people were forced to live in the past
Historically, a part of a city where Jewish people were required or expected to live, especially in Europe.
NOUN
C1
3
gettó
B2
szegregátum
C1
Usage pattern:
a ghetto for [group]; [group] ghetto
Discriminatory housing practices helped create a ghetto for migrant workers.
A diszkriminatív lakáspolitika hozzájárult egy migránsmunkás-gettó kialakulásához.
The report warned that the policy could turn the suburb into an ethnic ghetto.
A jelentés arra figyelmeztetett, hogy ez a politika etnikai gettóvá teheti a külvárost.
Activists argued that the plan would isolate residents in a ghetto with few services.
Learner examples
They fought against a racial ghetto.
Harcoltak a faji gettó kialakulása ellen.
Common mistake:
This sense can be confused with the general 'poor area' sense; here the focus is separation/segregation rather than only poverty.
Meaning
segregated minority area
Collocations
racial ghetto
|ethnic ghetto
|immigrant ghetto
|a segregated ghetto
|create a ghetto
|confine people to a ghetto
|ghettoization of neighborhoods
Synonyms
enclave (Can be voluntary and positive; does not necessarily imply deprivation or discrimination.)
|
segregated district (More explicit and formal about enforced separation.)
Antonyms
mixed community (An area where different groups live together rather than being separated.)
Themes
society
|inequality
|politics
|housing
Definition
an area where one group is forced to live apart
An area where a particular racial, ethnic, or social group is concentrated, especially because discrimination, poverty, or policy limits where people can live.
C1
SLANG
4
gettó
C1
Usage pattern:
[something] is ghetto; a ghetto [thing/place]
He called the decorations “ghetto,” and several people told him the word was offensive.
A díszítést gettónak nevezte, és többen szóltak neki, hogy ez a szó sértő.
Using “ghetto” to mean “cheap” can come across as insulting and stereotypical.
A gettó szó olcsó értelemben való használata sértőnek és sztereotipnak hathat.
She asked him not to use “ghetto” that way because it targets a community.
Common mistake:
Many learners use it meaning only 'bad' or 'messy' without realizing it is widely considered derogatory; avoid this use in polite conversation and writing.
Meaning
cheap or low-status (offensive)
Collocations
so ghetto
|ghetto behavior
|ghetto clothes
|ghetto style
|ghetto setup
Synonyms
trashy (Insulting but less tied to racialized stereotypes.)
|
cheap (Neutral in many contexts; focuses on low cost or low quality rather than social judgment.)
Antonyms
classy (Suggests good taste and higher social status.)
|
high-end (Emphasizes expensive, good-quality goods.)
Themes
language
|society
Definition
a rude slang word meaning “cheap” or “low-class”
(Slang, often offensive) Used to describe something as cheap, low quality, or socially “low-class,” in a way that stereotypes or insults people from poor, often Black, communities.
VERB
C1
FORMAL
5
gettósít
C1
Usage pattern:
ghetto [people/groups]; ghetto [someone] into [role/area]
Critics said the zoning rules would ghetto low-income families on the city’s edge.
A bírálók szerint az övezeti szabályok a város szélére gettósítanák az alacsony jövedelmű családokat.
The program unintentionally ghettoed new immigrants into a few low-wage sectors.
A program akaratlanul is néhány alacsony bérű ágazatba gettósította az új bevándorlókat.
Common mistake:
This verb is much less common than “ghettoize.”
Meaning
to confine to ghettos
Collocations
ghetto communities
|ghetto minorities
|ghetto people into certain jobs
|ghetto residents on the outskirts
Synonyms
segregate (More common and neutral; focuses on separation by policy or practice.)
|
isolate (More general; not specifically about housing or social groups.)
Antonyms
integrate (To bring groups into shared spaces and equal participation.)
Themes
society
|politics
|inequality
Definition
to force people to live separately in one area
To confine or isolate a group of people in a separate area or limited set of opportunities, as if placing them in a ghetto.
Grammar
Dictionary form
ghetto
IPA
GB/ɡˈɛtoʊ/
US/ɡˈɛtoʊ/
Syllables & stress
ghetto (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (ghetto)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: ghetto
- Plural: ghettoes, ghettos
Verb
- Base: ghetto
- 3rd Person Singular: ghettos
- Present Participle: ghettoing
- Past: ghettoed
Word family
Forms
ghettoes
noun
ghettos
noun
ghettoing
verb
ghettoed
verb
Core family
ghettoize
verb
Related words
ghettoization
noun
ghettoized
adjective
Expressions
ghetto bird
1/ɡˈɛtoʊ bˈɚd/
fixed phrase
slang
police helicopter (slang)
slang for a police helicopter
Examples
- The ghetto bird circled overhead for an hour after the robbery.
- People on the block complained about the ghetto bird keeping them awake.
ghetto blaster
1/ɡˈɛtoʊ blˈæstɚ/
fixed phrase
informal
large portable music player
a big portable music player (boombox)
Examples
- Someone was walking down the street with a ghetto blaster on his shoulder.
- The movie opened with kids dancing around a ghetto blaster.
Learner examples
- He played music on a boombox, a “ghetto blaster.”
ghetto fabulous
1/ɡˈɛtoʊ fˈæbjələs/
fixed phrase
slang
flashy style despite poverty
very flashy in a street style
Examples
- Her outfit was pure ghetto fabulous—sparkly, bold, and totally confident.
- The show plays with a ghetto fabulous aesthetic on purpose.
ghetto-rigged
1/ɡˈɛtoʊ ɹˈɪɡd/
fixed phrase
slang
makeshift and poorly repaired
fixed in a quick, not proper way
Examples
- The phone stand is ghetto-rigged out of cardboard and tape.
- They used a ghetto-rigged cable to get the screen working for one night.
Learner examples
- It’s a makeshift fix, not a real repair.