scandal

noun

scan·dal | \ ˈskan-dᵊl

Definition of scandal

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : discredit brought upon religion by unseemly conduct in a religious person

b : conduct that causes or encourages a lapse of faith or of religious obedience in another

2 : loss of or damage to reputation caused by actual or apparent violation of morality or propriety : disgrace

3a : a circumstance or action that offends propriety or established moral conceptions or disgraces those associated with it

b : a person whose conduct offends propriety or morality a scandal to the profession

4 : malicious or defamatory gossip

5 : indignation, chagrin, or bewilderment brought about by a flagrant violation of morality, propriety, or religious opinion

scandal

verb

scandaled; scandaling; scandals

Definition of scandal (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 obsolete : disgrace

2 chiefly dialectal : defame, slander

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about scandal

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Synonyms & Antonyms for scandal

Synonyms: Noun

disgrace, dishonor, opprobrium, reflection, reproach

Antonyms: Noun

credit, honor

Choose the Right Synonym for scandal

Noun

offense, sin, vice, crime, scandal mean a transgression of law. offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code. at that school no offense went unpunished sin implies an offense against moral or religious law. the sin of blasphemy vice applies to a habit or practice that degrades or corrupts. regarded gambling as a vice crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state. the crime of murder scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience. a career ruined by a sex scandal

Examples of scandal in a Sentence

Noun

There was a major scandal involving the mayor's ties with the Mob. Government officials were caught in an embezzlement scandal. Her behavior caused a scandal at school. There was never a hint of scandal during her time in office. The gossip magazine is filled with rumors and scandal. The high price of gas these days is a scandal. It's a scandal that this city doesn't have a movie theater.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Amid all of her Khloé Kardashian and Tristan Thompson cheating scandal ~drama~, Jordyn Woods has done what so, so many women before her have done during times of world-altering life changes: She's gotten a major haircut. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Jordyn Woods Chops Her Hair Into a Blunt Bob Amid Khloé Kardashian/Tristan Thompson Drama," 9 Mar. 2019 Time and again, Facebook has committed to changing its ways—and then a new scandal surfaces. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Zuckerberg, Facebook commit to building 'privacy focused platform,' dodging ads and fake news," 6 Mar. 2019 Ahead, more fallout from the Les Moonves scandal, this time affecting his wife. — Fox News, "Media's Kavanaugh spectacle," 24 Sep. 2018 The investigations were prompted by similar findings of improper testing at Subaru Corp. and Nissan Motor Co., and before that from the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal of 2015, where 11 million cars were found to be cheating emissions standards. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Suzuki, Mazda, Yamaha All Used Falsified Emissions Data," 9 Aug. 2018 That has protected it from scandals over fake news, electoral manipulation and political tribalism. — The Economist, "Can Netflix please investors and still avoid the techlash?," 28 June 2018 The View ladies shared some serious thoughts about the Jordyn Woods, Kylie Jenner, Khloé Kardashian, Tristan Thompson cheating scandal. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "'The View' Host Meghan McCain Gets Heated Over Jordyn Woods and Tristan Thompson Drama," 27 Feb. 2019 Turns out, the photo is also a savage depiction of some current political scandals. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's Extremely Close Oscars Pose Is Now a Meme," 25 Feb. 2019 Obviously, everything relates to Mean Girls, even this scandal. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "These Crazy Tristan Thompson/Jordyn Woods Cheating Scandal Memes Are Exploding on Twitter," 22 Feb. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Social scientists predicted the Cambridge Analytica scandal way back in 2007. — Felix Salmon, WIRED, "The Case for A Zuck-Free Facebook," 3 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scandal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.