scurrilous

adjective scur·ri·lous \ ˈskər-ə-ləs , ˈskə-rə- \

Definition of scurrilous

1 a :using or given to coarse language

b :vulgar and evil

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

2 :containing obscenities, abuse, or slander

scurrilous accusations

—

scurrilously

adverb

—

scurrilousness

noun

See scurrilous defined for English-language learners

See scurrilous defined for kids

Examples of scurrilous in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of scurrilous from the Web

Scurrilous rumors that McMaster has a drinking problem floated around the periphery.

— tina nguyen, The Hive, "Inside the Plot to Oust Steve Bannon," 17 Aug. 2017
Antifa becomes merely a radical adjunct to traditional Democratic-party politics; the alt-right becomes merely a useful tool for scurrilous Republican politicians and media figures.

— ben shapiro, National Review, "Antifa and the Alt-Right, Growing in Opposition to One Another," 15 Aug. 2017
His longstanding and intimate links to the scurrilous press is not just one of his quirks, but integral to his political identity.

— jeet heer, New Republic, "Donald Trump and the Weaponization of Gossip," 3 July 2017
The reaction to the Kathy Griffin photograph is encouraging; the success of the more scurrilous late-night talk show hosts, and Trump's continuing unpresidential blogging, is not.

— julian e. zelizer, The Atlantic, "Is It Time for the U.S. to Rein in the Presidency?," 9 June 2017
And a set of rules, rather than restraining the guest’s experience, is meant to help guide that guest, and everyone else, through a pleasant evening accompanied by the gentle clink of glasses rather than a scurrilous roar.

— eric alperin and deborah stoll, latimes.com, "Behind the bar: Why it's not OK to drink too much and talk too loudly at this L.A. bartender's bar," 31 May 2017
Trump’s team has dismissed the dossier as entirely scurrilous.

— laurence arnold, Bloomberg.com, "Your Guide to the Russia Investigations," 9 May 2017
As false and often scurrilous news proliferates on the internet, those values are in tension more than ever, as the case of Chobani v. Alex Jones shows.

— WSJ, "Chobani vs. Alex Jones," 30 Apr. 2017
The scurrilous theft of San Jose Aviation Director Kim Becker by the larger San Diego International Airport is a second whammy to San Jose.

— mercury news editorial board, The Mercury News, "Editorial: Another big loss for San Jose — Aviation Director Kim Becker," 4 Apr. 2017

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

First Known Use of scurrilous

1576

scurrilous Synonyms

Synonyms

contumelious, invective, opprobrious, scurrile (or scurril), abusive, truculent, vitriolic, vituperative, vituperatory

Near Antonyms

moderate, temperate; deferential, respectful; civil, courteous, gracious, mannerly, polite; discreet, judicious, tempered; encomiastic, laudative, laudatory, praiseful

SCURRILOUS Defined for English Language Learners

scurrilous

adjective

Definition of scurrilous for English Language Learners

: said or done unfairly to make people have a bad opinion of someone

Learn More about scurrilous

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for scurrilous Spanish Central: Translation of scurrilous Nglish: Translation of scurrilous for Spanish speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up scurrilous? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

scurrilous

Definition of scurrilous

scurrilously

scurrilousness

Examples of scurrilous in a Sentence

Recent Examples of scurrilous from the Web

First Known Use of scurrilous

scurrilous Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

SCURRILOUS Defined for English Language Learners

scurrilous

Definition of scurrilous for English Language Learners

Learn More about scurrilous

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

euphony

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

'Regimen' vs. 'Regiment'

'Spox' May Go On The Record

C'mon, Of Course 'Myriad' Is a Noun

'Gamut' and 'Gambit' (and 'Gauntlet' Too)

Ask the Editors

Words of the Year: 1066

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Irregardless

Weird Plurals

Word Games

Forms of Government Quiz

Original Meanings Quiz

Spell It

Word Winder's CrossWinder

'Regimen' vs. 'Regiment'

Trending: McCain: Half-Baked, 'Spurious' Nationalism

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Forms of Government Quiz

Words of the Year: 1066

scurrilous

Definition of scurrilous

scurrilously

scurrilousness

Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd

Examples of scurrilous in a Sentence

Recent Examples of scurrilous from the Web

First Known Use of scurrilous

scurrilous Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

SCURRILOUS Defined for English Language Learners

scurrilous

Definition of scurrilous for English Language Learners

Learn More about scurrilous

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

'Regimen' vs. 'Regiment'

Trending: McCain: Half-Baked, 'Spurious' Nationalism

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Forms of Government Quiz

Words of the Year: 1066