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
The audience seemed to agree, welcoming the over-the-top action sequences, Pemberton’s insights about the soundtrack – and especially the news about that scandalous Maron-Lyonne banter – with glee.
—
Marta Balaga, Variety, 11 June 2025
The politically scandalous Dreyfus affair took place around the turn of the 19th century in France, with Dreyfus banished to Devil’s Island after being found guilty of treason, accused of spreading military secrets to Germany.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 10 June 2025
Tennis prodigy Scottie is in her Reputation era and returning to the tennis tour after a scandalous two-year suspension by playing with her father’s rival, Nico in Wimbledon’s mixed doubles tournament.
—Katie Chandler, People.com, 10 June 2025
Musk’s critics will of course prefer some more scandalous explanation, but there’s no evidence Musk’s version of events is inaccurate.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for scandalous
Marta Balaga, Variety, 11 June 2025
The politically scandalous Dreyfus affair took place around the turn of the 19th century in France, with Dreyfus banished to Devil’s Island after being found guilty of treason, accused of spreading military secrets to Germany.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 10 June 2025
Tennis prodigy Scottie is in her Reputation era and returning to the tennis tour after a scandalous two-year suspension by playing with her father’s rival, Nico in Wimbledon’s mixed doubles tournament.
—Katie Chandler, People.com, 10 June 2025
Musk’s critics will of course prefer some more scandalous explanation, but there’s no evidence Musk’s version of events is inaccurate.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for scandalous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scandalous
Adjective
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All the juicy — and disgusting — details of each inspection can be found in a PDF embedded under each restaurant’s entry.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
15 June 2025
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War is disgusting, and that extraordinary chapter, which concluded what was undoubtedly the most terrible war in history, provides no exception ...—
Charles C. W. Cooke,
National Review,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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However, this setup is relatively inflexible, as minor displacements or changes require recalibration, often resulting in erroneous test results.—
Prasad Banala,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
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Thursday, the Cubs jumped the gun and announced the new pope was a fan on their Wrigley Field marquee after an erroneous report on ABC.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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My goodness, these men wanted to win the U.S. Open with every bit of their being, to finally win a major championship and make this ugly, rainy day worth the battles behind them.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
16 June 2025
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If his bat is slipping as well, that will be an ugly contract for the Giants.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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The Queens Botanical Garden’s annual Pride event will feature DJ music, after-hours access to the garden and sickening drag performances by Nani Tsunami and Janae SaisQuoi.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
14 June 2025
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But the defense is hoping to cast her recollections merely as sickening details in a deranged love story between two consenting and jealous adults.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
17 May 2025
Adjective
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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
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In Britain, Musk has called for the release of Tommy Robinson, a far-right extremist who was jailed for 18 months in October for repeating a libelous claim about a Syrian refugee schoolboy attacking girls.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA TODAY,
7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But then what looked like a tap-in par on the long par-three eighth turned into a shocking miss.—
Doug Ferguson,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2025
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The team grapples with a leadership shakeup and a shocking ultimatum.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 June 2025
Adjective
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Seeing the unfavorable replies, the mother chimed in.—
Brian Anthony Hernandez,
People.com,
14 June 2025
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Across more than a dozen surveys conducted between late January and mid-May 2025, unfavorable ratings consistently outstrip favorable ones—often by double-digit margins.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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And in addition to the swing itself, his overall approach at the plate has always been horrible.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
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With guidance from Benny’s older sister and her campus-legend boyfriend, Benny and Carmen juggle horrible hookups, flavored vodka, and fake IDs.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scandalous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scandalous. Accessed 29 Jun. 2025.
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