scurrilous

adjective

scur·ri·lous ˈskər-ə-ləs

ˈskə-rə-

Synonyms of scurrilous next

: using or given to coarse language

: vulgar and evil

scurrilous imposters who used a religious exterior to rob poor people—

Edwin Benson

: containing obscenities, abuse, or slander

scurrilous accusations

scurrilously adverb

scurrilousness noun

Did you know?

Scurrilous (and its much rarer relation scurrile, which has the same meaning) comes from Middle French scurrile. The Middle French word, in turn, comes from the Latin scurrilis, from scurra, which means "buffoon" or "jester." Fittingly, 18th-century lexicographer Samuel Johnson defined scurrilous as "using such language as only the licence [sic] of a buffoon could warrant." Qualities traditionally associated with buffoonery—vulgarity, irreverence, and indecorousness—are qualities often invoked by the word scurrilous. Unlike the words of a jester, however, "scurrilous" language of the present day more often intends to seriously harm or slander than to produce a few laughs.

Examples of scurrilous in a Sentence

scurrilous attacks on the senator a scurrilous satire on the scandal that enveloped Washington

Recent Examples on the Web His brushes with the law, and his drug use, morphed into scurrilous tabloid fodder, making his life, at least for a while, a living hell. —

Michael Granberry, Dallas News, 20 July 2023 While a liberal biologist is strongly influenced by their political outlook and will defend it forcefully, anthropologists seem trained to throw around scurrilous terms and associations as if that was the ultimate training of their profession. —

Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 24 Oct. 2011 Partisans in particular - and the audiences for Murdoch's Fox News and talk radio - are particularly susceptible to such scurrilous disinformation. —

Chris Mooney, Discover Magazine, 15 Feb. 2011 Then again, the late 18th century, when the U.S. was founded, was a golden era of misinformation as well, with anonymous pamphlets and partisan newspapers peddling scurrilous tales about opposing politicians and parties. —

Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2023 Hudson seldom outright endorses and never outright debunks any of the visionaries in his book, even when his own characterizations of them seem to demand it, as with his description of the extravagant life style and scurrilous fund-raising tactics of televangelist Oral Roberts. —

Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 24 Dec. 2021 What a scurrilous accusation. —

Rex Huppke, chicagotribune.com, 15 Oct. 2021 Debt peonage -- in which an employer compels someone to work to cover a debt -- was outlawed in 1867, but through transportation and living expenses, merchant credits and sharecropping loans, scurrilous White employers could force minorities to work until the system was eradicated in the 1940s. —

Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN, 27 May 2021 On these ships, Caligula was reported to hold parties where his wild and licentious appetites ran wild, with later historians repeating scurrilous and outlandish rumours about relationships with the wives of his generals and senators, and even with his own sisters. —

Paul Cooper, Discover Magazine, 7 Nov. 2018 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scurrilous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.