1
as in masses
people looked down upon as ignorant and of the lowest class
claimed that only scum lived in that part of town
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bastard
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
ignore the heckler—he's complete scum
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of scum
Regular cleaning with vinegar can remove the minerals, remove water spots, soap scum, and kill any bacteria that might be growing in the warm, humid environment inside the showerhead.
—
Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 9 Apr. 2026
When his team returned to the deep-sea site, however, its brilliant colors were smothered under a blanket of fluffy gray scum.
—Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Our editors tested over a dozen shower cleaners to find the ones that are most effective at removing soap scum and water stains.
—Josh Feldman, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026
Oftentimes, these blue-green algae overgrowths appear as blue, green, or brown scum along the surface of water.
—Outside, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scum
Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 9 Apr. 2026
When his team returned to the deep-sea site, however, its brilliant colors were smothered under a blanket of fluffy gray scum.
—Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Our editors tested over a dozen shower cleaners to find the ones that are most effective at removing soap scum and water stains.
—Josh Feldman, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026
Oftentimes, these blue-green algae overgrowths appear as blue, green, or brown scum along the surface of water.
—Outside, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scum
Noun
-
In her cell, surrounded by her fellow rabble-rousing women, Deborah works the room.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
-
How dare the lowly rabble at Fenway Park treat our esteemed mayor and governor with such disrespect!—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There’s an almost-friendship-ending rift over husbands (Brent Thiessen is Cee Cee’s, a cool-guy theater director; Ben Jacoby is Bertie’s, a rich jerk) that feels deeply dated and, in the context of the women’s tell-each-other-everything friendship, just plain weird.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The jerk chicken is rubbed in a sweet honey glaze.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Was Widow’s Bay a literal prison at one point, or is this a metaphor that speaks to how desperately the populace clings to the past?—
Jen Chaney,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Instead of Gladiators fighting for our entertainment, the emperors are shadowboxing before an angry populace.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There’s some Streisand, too, and a big dose of Andrea Martin, specifically Martin’s signature SCTV character Edith Prickley, that bawdy, gawdy ham with all the bravado of a Catskills clown.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
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Once completed, the $5 million acquisition will ensure the theater has a permanent home, a place where skateboarding clowns and leek-haired onions can continue to frolic and dance for decades to come.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Limon’s body was found April 24 on the Howard Frankland Bridge, also in a large black trash bag and with stab injuries, records state.—
Tony Marrero,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2026
-
Pratt, 42, has not been shy about his views, referring to Bass as trash, using the Spanish word basura as a play on her last name.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
In recent years, Ed Sheeran slipped behind the counter, gamely slinging dogs and taking his fair share of abuse from the staff.—
Jimmy Jellinek,
SPIN,
27 Apr. 2026
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During the day, McKinley Park is filled with activity, from dog walkers and joggers to families enjoying the outdoors.—
Conor McGill,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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All that loot pumped out of the Armenian proletariat, says the gaur, and for what.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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Severin, on the other hand, represents the revolutionary proletariat.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Only about 30 percent of all nests evade their many predators, including skunks, opossums, raccoons, coyotes, snakes, and even domestic dogs and cats.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
29 Apr. 2026
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That means don’t send your dog out to charge a skunk, and don’t go outside banging on pots and pans or yelling, which is only going to make the skunk feel threatened.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scum. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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