as in villain
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
some scoundrel stole my wallet
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scoundrel
Like a Dickensian Andy Capp, Johnson is an uber-charming rogue, an everyman bluesy belter whose winking humor with a hint of the scoundrel are not entirely unlike Scott’s demeanor, though each man’s vocals, inflection and stage presence are/were clearly their own.
—
Katherine Turman, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2025
In the first, Trump treated a moral hero as an ungrateful scoundrel.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2025
That edge is somewhat novel in Star Wars’s universe of smugglers, which typically feels bifurcated between scoundrels with a heart of gold and petty criminals who are rarely more than their base nature.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2025
This painting becomes the center of a scheme to weaken Cosimo’s reputation, and Benvenuto Cellini, sculptor, goldsmith and all-around scoundrel, is hired to steal it — a choice that leads to some of the most hilarious high jinks in the book.
—Chelsea Leu, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scoundrel
Katherine Turman, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2025
In the first, Trump treated a moral hero as an ungrateful scoundrel.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2025
That edge is somewhat novel in Star Wars’s universe of smugglers, which typically feels bifurcated between scoundrels with a heart of gold and petty criminals who are rarely more than their base nature.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2025
This painting becomes the center of a scheme to weaken Cosimo’s reputation, and Benvenuto Cellini, sculptor, goldsmith and all-around scoundrel, is hired to steal it — a choice that leads to some of the most hilarious high jinks in the book.
—Chelsea Leu, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scoundrel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scoundrel
Noun
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Matthias Schoenaerts signed on as the film's villain, Krem of the Yellow Hills, in September 2024, per Deadline, and a few months later, Jason Momoa confirmed his casting as the violent intergalactic bounty hunter, Lobo.—
Samantha Stutsman,
People.com,
12 July 2025
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But just to use an example, Force Awakens sets up Snoke as the big villain of the new trilogy, with a mysterious backstory.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
12 July 2025
Noun
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King's polo playing husband, Bill Mitchell — who went on to become a director for Texaco — became the model for Daisy’s rich brute of a husband, Tom Buchanan.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
5 June 2025
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This freshly re-imagined Jag is worlds apart from that old German brute, but was similar in the sense of feeling wonderfully light and responsive, and utilizing hydraulic fluid to power its steering.—
Peter Nelson,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
Noun
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Often regarded by historians as a collection of savage tribes, the Scythians emerge as a pivotal force of the ancient world in this monumental history.—
The New Yorker,
The New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2023
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Nearly 32 years ago, Rodney King’s savage beating by police in Los Angeles prompted heartfelt calls for change.—
Aaron Morrison, Claudia Lauer and Adrian Sainz,
Anchorage Daily News,
29 Jan. 2023
Noun
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The two-day family-friendly affair has a lineup of exciting events, including a chili cook-off and a monster lake plunge, plus the chance to try your hand at cross-country skiing, tubing, or snowmobiling at Beaver Creek Lodge in Garden City.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
13 July 2025
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The enormous bones and monster jaws, the ridged backs and barbed tails.—
Clare Sestanovich,
New Yorker,
13 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scoundrel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scoundrel. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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