Sordid (adjective)
Definition: marked by baseness or grossness; vile
Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sordid
Found in: Quicksand by Nella Larsen
Quote: “she hated to admit that money was the most serious difficulty. Knowing full well that it was important, she never the less rebelled at the unalterable truth that it could influence her actions, block her desires. A sordid necessity to be grappled with”
The sordid necessity here describes her feelings about money, she is repulsed by the fact that money in some way controls her.
