unscrupulous

adjective

un·​scru·​pu·​lous ˌən-ˈskrü-pyə-ləs 

: not scrupulous : unprincipled

… replicas that unscrupulous shopkeepers may sometimes try to palm off as the real thing.

—Geri Trotta

unscrupulously adverb

unscrupulousness noun

Synonyms of unscrupulous

• immoral
• ruthless
• corrupt
• unprincipled
• unethical

Examples of unscrupulous in a Sentence

an unscrupulous businessman manipulated them into selling their land for practically nothing

Recent Examples on the Web

The district judge confined Biddy and most of the Black children in the county jail, ostensibly for their own protection from their unscrupulous enslaver. — Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026

Far from a local problem Some patients travel outside their home state to receive treatment, and unscrupulous rehab operators often recruit such patients. — Ilan Shrira, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2026

An unscrupulous realtor had sold the family a home in an all-white neighborhood. — Briauna Brown, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026

In searching for her niece, Jones is forced to grapple with not only her past, but also an unscrupulous music industry. — Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unscrupulous

• scrupulous

Kids Definition

unscrupulous

adjective

un·​scru·​pu·​lous ˌən-ˈskrü-pyə-ləs 

ˈən-

: not scrupulous : unprincipled

unscrupulously adverb

unscrupulousness noun