Disclosed are a silver halide photographic material containing at least one merocyanine color-sensitizing dye having a particular structure of formula (I) ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 each represent an alkyl group having a residue capable of making the compound soluble in water as a free acid or salt; V.sub.1, V.sub.2, V.sub.3 and V.sub.4 each represent a hydrogen atom or a monovalent substituent, provided that these substituents (V.sub.1, V.sub.2, V.sub.3, V.sub.4) are not bonded to each other to form a ring and that the sum of the molecular weights of V.sub.1, V.sub.2, V.sub.3 and V.sub.4 is from 4 to 50; L.sub.1, L.sub.2, L.sub.3 and L.sub.4 each represent an optionally substituted methine group; M.sub.1 represents a charge-neutralizing pair ion; and m.sub.1 represents a number of from 0 to 4 that is necessary for neutralizing the intramolecular charge.