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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective scrupulous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of scrupulous are conscientious, honest, honorable, just, and upright. While all these words mean "having or showing a strict regard for what is morally right," conscientious and scrupulous imply an active moral sense governing all one's actions and painstaking efforts to follow one's conscience.

conscientious in the completion of her assignments
scrupulous in carrying out the terms of the will

When could honest be used to replace scrupulous?

In some situations, the words honest and scrupulous are roughly equivalent. However, honest stresses adherence to such virtues as truthfulness, candor, or fairness.

known for being honest in business dealings

When would honorable be a good substitute for scrupulous?

The words honorable and scrupulous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, honorable suggests a firm holding to codes of right behavior and the guidance of a high sense of honor and duty.

a difficult but honorable decision

When might just be a better fit than scrupulous?

The words just and scrupulous can be used in similar contexts, but just stresses conscious choice and regular practice of what is right or equitable.

workers given just compensation

When is it sensible to use upright instead of scrupulous?

While in some cases nearly identical to scrupulous, upright implies a strict adherence to moral principles.

a stern and upright minister

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 scrupulous People typically create rituals with a scrupulous adherence to rules and link them to certain psychological elements. Gina Park, CNN Money, 26 June 2025 Yet amid all the scrupulous documentation, one key piece is missing, one specific that would have laid to rest the decades of doubt and speculation that followed Nadja’s publication in 1928: the face and identity of Nadja herself. Mark Polizzoti june 16, Literary Hub, 16 June 2025 Later, in 2019, OpenAI created a for-profit subsidiary to better attract investors—the types of people who might otherwise turn to the less scrupulous corporations that dot Silicon Valley. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 30 May 2025 Mawdsley presents a scrupulous and magisterial account of naval warfare from 1939 to 1945. Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2020 See All Example Sentences for scrupulous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrupulous
Adjective
  • This reversal deeply disrespects every honorable soldier who's had our Stars and Stripes draped over their casket as Taps play in the background.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Cole's one of the most honorable, if not the most honorable, character in our show.
    EW.com, EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Reid is also meticulous with focusing on details, and Kansas City is usually better in this area than its opponents.
    Jesse Newell, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Paul Greengrass and Blumhouse might seem like an odd mix, the former perhaps best known for his meticulous, sensitive docudramas, the latter most famous for low-budget, high-yield genre movies.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Younger adults in particular are less conscientious, agreeable, extroverted and open to new experiences than past generations, while neuroticism — marked by anxiety and emotional instability — is rising.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
  • Most of the traits that are good, like being conscientious and agreeable are also cool, but in different capacities.
    Dana Taylor, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Both coaches and players have been respectful of the other team all week, careful not to produce any bulletin board material.
    Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Ben Lewis Doherty, playing a boy named Sam whose life is upended by Robbie, is the show’s greatest innocent, a softhearted moppet who warns deer to be careful when crossing the street.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Advertisement Bioprinting, which Putin seemed to reference to Xi, faces ethical and legal concerns, but Russia has ramped up its investment in it.
    Chad de Guzman, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
  • According to the Natural History Museum, images will undergo an authenticity check during the final round, and submissions will be judged based on originality, narrative, and adherence to ethical practices.
    Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • But that huge exception is in the form of Michelle Yeoh, who supplies a healthy dose of star power to play the role of the titular devil child’s loving mother, Lady Yin.
    Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025
  • For Kaiko and the countless other rescue dogs, the journey to a loving home is just beginning.
    Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Being fat is not a moral failing for which people should be punished.
    Zach Wichter, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Early birds have long basked in the glory of health superiority, sometimes even tinged with a hit of moral righteousness.
    Erica Sloan, SELF, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • If a separate closet or dresser outside the bathroom is unavailable to you, then Trosclair advises being diligent in cycling through your linens and washing them regularly to fight any mildewing, molding, or weathering from the moisture.
    Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Look and Life passed on the story of the My Lai massacre (originally called the Pinkville massacre), but thanks to the diligent startup Dispatch News Service, an alternative news agency, Hersh’s exposé made it onto the front pages of more than 30 papers across the country.
    Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Scrupulous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrupulous. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

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