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
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Recent Examples of scum
Squeegee shower walls after each use to keep water spots and soap scum from setting.
—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 30 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
Scour Away Soap Scum and Mineral Buildup In areas with hard water, use a solution of ½ cup soda crystals dissolved in a gallon of warm water to scrub soap scum and mineral buildup off of bathroom and kitchen surfaces, including sinks, tubs, showers, and toilets.
7.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scum
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 30 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
Scour Away Soap Scum and Mineral Buildup In areas with hard water, use a solution of ½ cup soda crystals dissolved in a gallon of warm water to scrub soap scum and mineral buildup off of bathroom and kitchen surfaces, including sinks, tubs, showers, and toilets.
7.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 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
-
Emerson had a 290 in the clean-and-jerk and 235 in the snatch (525 total) in the 154-pound weight class.—
Alex Kushel,
Sun Sentinel,
9 May 2026
-
McKenzie was even more ahead of the pack in the Traditional style, which couples each lifter’s best bench press with their clean-and-jerk mark.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 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
-
Even a rival gave kudos — kind of — to the clown.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
8 May 2026
-
Thor is now a circus clown — not even a funny one at that — relegated to being the butt of Star-Lord's unfunny jokes and the least-serious Avenger.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Pieces of trash, including an empty Pacifico beer can, gather dust on the floor behind the counter.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
Her choice would have been to ask if the interviewer would prefer the trash in the basket (avoiding any jokes about the interviewer having missed the target) and then proceed accordingly.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
In real life, once the cameras stop rolling, Wallace and McGarry have bonded over their dog named Darla, who made her online debut in March 2024.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
-
Landowski only began competing Neo in agility competitions last year, and the training involved coaching with a dog trainer in Hudson Oaks and years of hogging the family computer to watch dog agility competition videos, her mother, Rhian said.—
Tanya Babbar,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
All that loot pumped out of the Armenian proletariat, says the gaur, and for what.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
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
-
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 14 May. 2026.
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