1
as in disgusting
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
the scandalous news that police officers had been taking bribes
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scandalous
Perhaps displacement resides in these inconceivable connections, in these scandalous imprecisions.
—
María Ospina, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
Rhode Islanders nicknamed the house after the scandalous socialite, and the name is still often used by locals today.
—Catherine Messier, The Providence Journal, 28 Mar. 2026
In addition to drama around the ongoing domestic-violence investigation into the show’s star Taylor Frankie Paul, there are two impending divorces, a MomToker relocating to NYC, and a few other less scandalous updates.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
The most viral videos feature fruits in absurd situations, ranging from scandalous affairs with other fruits to baby fruits thrown off a ship (yes, really).
—Saba Hamedy, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scandalous
María Ospina, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
Rhode Islanders nicknamed the house after the scandalous socialite, and the name is still often used by locals today.
—Catherine Messier, The Providence Journal, 28 Mar. 2026
In addition to drama around the ongoing domestic-violence investigation into the show’s star Taylor Frankie Paul, there are two impending divorces, a MomToker relocating to NYC, and a few other less scandalous updates.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
The most viral videos feature fruits in absurd situations, ranging from scandalous affairs with other fruits to baby fruits thrown off a ship (yes, really).
—Saba Hamedy, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scandalous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scandalous
Adjective
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This was in itself disgusting but also came to represent the city’s problems.—
Rachel Sugar,
Curbed,
8 Apr. 2026
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Living under an openly misogynistic president may have felt freakish in 2017, but by his second term, bigotry became yet another disgusting norm.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This story has been updated to remove erroneous information on funding for the Boulevard Green project and to correct details on the trip to Dallas.—
Olivia Wakim,
AJC.com,
17 Apr. 2026
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American Express is pledging to protect users from erroneous transactions made by agents that are registered with Amex.—
Jack Kubinec,
Fortune,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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An ugly first period added to the initial grimness.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
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Their pricey homegrown core — Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs — combined to go 13-of-42 from the field and an ugly 1-of-13 from deep.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Breuer also accused Moore of using a Jan. 26 news conference, four days after the building was evacuated, to spread falsehoods about the company, which Breuer said could be deemed libelous.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
5 Mar. 2026
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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
Adjective
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In a sickening moment broadcast live after Boyes’s shot missed, Long moved quickly about, shooting many hostages.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
3 Apr. 2026
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The feds also looked over Bied’s sickening business partnership with his co-conspirator in Indonesia, who Bied purchased multiple orangutan and Javan leopard skulls from.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The group’s ads on his past felony bank fraud charges were decried by Ford as slanderous.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
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Keefer called these claims baseless and slanderous.—
Bradley Hohulin,
IndyStar,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Zendaya and Robert Pattinson star in Kristoffer Borgli’s rug-pull rom-com, which follows a soon-to-be-married couple whose relationship implodes after a shocking revelation.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2026
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The series abruptly concluded with Lois' shocking pregnancy news and Malcolm just starting his freshman year at Harvard.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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County officials also said Freidenrich’s management of the treasurer’s office led to delays in issuing refunds to schools, filing tax liens and cashing property tax checks, which resulted in incorrect late fees and penalties for taxpayers.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
15 Apr. 2026
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Any assertion that city single-family homeowners are being double taxed would be incorrect.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scandalous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scandalous. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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