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 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 Where is Fanny amongst all this scandalous conduct and penning of literary masterpieces? — Literary Hub, 5 June 2026 Writers, poets, artists, scandalous lovers, and attention-seeking glitterati have all passed through here. — Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 2 June 2026 There’s nothing in this that’s particularly scandalous or even particularly interesting. — NBC news, 31 May 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
  • Deer-Proof Your Garden To keep your flowers from being gobbled up by deer—one of the most heartbreaking of all garden misfortunes—choose flowers that people find glorious and deer find disgusting.
    — Mary Alice Russell, Southern Living, 13 July 2026
  • Where critics see disgusting piles of stuff, hoarders see more.
    — Shivali H. Patra, Mercury News, 8 July 2026
Definition of disgusting
Adjective
  • Vilified for superstitious or erroneous beliefs, many of these species did not actually compete with people for food or pose other significant dangers.
    — Elan Abrell, The Conversation, 22 July 2026
  • Early details about the cause and source of the nationwide outbreak of cyclosporiasis—and the dangers in not immediately correcting erroneous information about it —is a good example.
    — Edward Segal, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of erroneous
Adjective
  • The deals defined one of the ugliest chapters of Russia’s transition to capitalism in the 1990s.
    — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
  • Leaders must be grounded in self-awareness and their influence, leaning into emotional intelligence and humility; recognizing that different styles shape how people show up amid many influences, good, bad and ugly.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 July 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
  • To defile the legacy of his family and that family name is sickening, and turns my stomach.
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 16 July 2026
  • The 2022 spill was the largest ever from the Keystone pipeline, killing or sickening 2,700 animals.
    — Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 10 July 2026
Definition of sickening
Adjective
  • Societies throughout history have punished language deemed blasphemous, seditious, inciting or slanderous.
    — Paul Quigley, The Conversation, 13 July 2026
  • The group’s ads on his past felony bank fraud charges were decried by Ford as slanderous.
    — Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
Definition of slanderous
Adjective
  • Yet somehow, two decades later, the viciously antisemitic Vichy regime planted itself in power; a shocking betrayal by France of some of its most loyal and generous supporters, in a dehumanizing toxic swamp of suspicion, judgment, envy.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026
  • As shocking as the scandal surrounding Terrion Arnold is, the 2024 first-round pick had not played that well, and the Lions could be better without him.
    — Vic Tafur, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Definition of shocking
Adjective
  • At the World Cup, there were at least six examples of incorrect or — to be generous — highly dubious interventions that made reasonable on-field decisions worse across the 104 matches.
    — Graham Scott, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • In September, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services sent a notice denying her coverage, citing incorrect income information and stating she wasn't disabled, according to Kolosova and state documents reviewed by KFF Health News.
    — Rachana Pradhan, NPR, 20 July 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 25 Jul. 2026.

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