scandalous

adjective

ˈskan-də-ləs How to pronounce scandalous (audio)
Definition of scandalousnext
1
as in disgusting
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment the scandalous news that police officers had been taking bribes

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in erroneous
causing or intended to cause unjust injury to a person's good name spread a scandalous rumor about a coworker that almost cost him his job

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of scandalous No More have been reliably unpredictable since Patton joined as the permanent singer in 1988, launching an erratic and sometimes scandalous classic era that lasted more or less until their first split in 1998. — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 27 July 2026 The dress was actually a replacement for a more scandalous outfit, both designed by William Travilla. — Rance Collins, Entertainment Weekly, 17 July 2026 An underrated musical based on a book-length poem about scandalous behavior in early Hollywood is enough of a reason to check out the season-ending show at Playhouse on Park. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2026 These new exhibitions — an examination of American Pop Art, a closer look at the scandalous painting that rocked early 20th-century France and an immersive celebration of Yoko Ono — are all worth the trek. — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 11 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for scandalous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scandalous
  1. disgusting
  2. erroneous
  3. ugly
  4. libelous
  5. sickening
  6. slanderous
  7. shocking
  8. incorrect
Adjective
  • In a series distinguished by copious disgusting battle scenes, Ormund co-stars in one of its very grossest—a gross-on-gross-on-gross flambé—and almost gets in one last barf.
    — Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • His central characters can be nasty, disgusting, violent, hysterically cruel, and passionately consumed.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of disgusting
Adjective
  • For example, antiquarian scholars introduced the erroneous notion that druids built stone circles—most notably Stonehenge—for their ceremonies, an idea that became embedded in the popular imagination during the 18th century.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The erroneous reports prompted Katsina United to release another statement confirming Ozor’s death.
    — Adam England, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of erroneous
Adjective
  • Some of the coverage may be ugly and unfair, but isn’t obscurity worse?
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The City of Atlanta and Fulton County’s Board of Commissioners have been trading negotiations over the sale of the Atlanta City Detention Center, and things have started to get ugly.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of ugly
Adjective
  • Questions concern how the courts would assess who or what might be responsible for faulty algorithms or other flaws in system design and whether a robot was negligent or malicious when disseminating libelous content damaging individuals or organizations.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
  • In recent weeks, though, her group has doubled in size, and while in the past there were only two or three posts per day, Mitchell and her new moderators now have to wade through 60-plus comments ranging from helpful to libelous.
    — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025
Definition of libelous
Adjective
  • Wildlife officials had found that many of these poisons worked their way through the food chain, sickening and killing owls, raptors, coyotes and mountain lions.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • More importantly, the China business, long a stalwart, started a sickening double-digit decline.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of sickening
Adjective
  • The Tarrant County decorum policy prohibits personal attacks and impertinent, profane, obscene or slanderous remarks.
    — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Societies throughout history have punished language deemed blasphemous, seditious, inciting or slanderous.
    — Paul Quigley, The Conversation, 13 July 2026
Definition of slanderous
Adjective
  • Lindsay Hubbard, one of the stars of Bravo’s Summer House, was doing an on-camera interview for a different reality show when shocking news broke that two of her Summer House castmates had gotten together.
    — The Deadline Team, Deadline, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Wells, 39, laid his gloves down in the Octagon after the shocking victory.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of shocking
Adjective
  • When requirements are unclear, AI may make incorrect assumptions that compound over multiple iterations.
    — Son Nguyen, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The senators also noted that grants were canceled out of the blue with form letters, which had contradictory explanations and incorrect citations.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of incorrect

Browse Nearby Words

scandalmongers
scandalous
scandals
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Cite this Entry

“Scandalous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scandalous. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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