scandalous

adjective

scan·​dal·​ous ˈskan-də-ləs 

1

: libelous, defamatory

scandalous allegations

2

: offensive to propriety or morality : shocking

scandalous behavior

scandalously adverb

scandalousness noun

Synonyms of scandalous

• disgusting
• ugly
• sickening
• shocking
• horrible
• awful
• obscene
• hideous
• obnoxious
• offensive
• dreadful
• nasty

Examples of scandalous in a Sentence

Sex was a scandalous subject back then.

The magazine published scandalous pictures of the movie star.

The high price of gas these days is scandalous.

She was spreading scandalous rumors about him.

Recent Examples on the Web

Israel responded to the commission's findings by calling it scandalous. —Irene Wright, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026

Advertisement Not a scandalous one. —Sean Gregory, Time, 23 Feb. 2026

When Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor first became a tabloid character in the 1980s, he was best known for his prankster nature, naval service, and a few scandalous girlfriends. —Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 19 Feb. 2026

Though instead of relying on the scandalous machinations of satire, as the Sundance titles did, this one pivots to and later works in service of the meditative allure of grief and memory drama. —Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 17 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1575, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

scandalous

adjective

scan·​dal·​ous ˈskan-d(ə-)ləs 

1

: harmful to one's reputation : defamatory

denied the truth of the scandalous rumors

2

: shocking

scandalous behavior

scandalously adverb