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

True to form, the story is narrated by an unscrupulous wanna-be novelist named Bret Easton Ellis (Igby Rigney), a closet case lusting away for the new hunk at his cruel prep school. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026

Both Washington and Mexico City have launched crackdowns against a complex web of unscrupulous functionaries, front companies and document fraudsters, among others. — Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026

Some immigrants requested more time before their next hearings, presenting evidence of having been defrauded by unscrupulous attorneys profiled in local news reports. — ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026

Still, Hunt and other policy researchers welcome the efforts to target unscrupulous operators. — Laurie Udesky, Miami Herald, 30 July 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