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
Relevance
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
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 scum
Moisten the dryer sheet, rub the soap scum to remove it, and then rinse your shower with clean, warm water to remove any residue.
—
Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
Galaxy’s Edge that will bring a younger proprietor to the hive of scum and villainy and new music to the alien cocktail bar’s soundtrack.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 19 Jan. 2026
This reduces residue time to mix with hard water and form scum.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Jan. 2026
Ease of cleaning Machine-washable fabric shower curtains are much easier to care for than plastic shower curtains, where soap scum and mildew can quickly become an unattractive mess.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scum
Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
Galaxy’s Edge that will bring a younger proprietor to the hive of scum and villainy and new music to the alien cocktail bar’s soundtrack.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 19 Jan. 2026
This reduces residue time to mix with hard water and form scum.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Jan. 2026
Ease of cleaning Machine-washable fabric shower curtains are much easier to care for than plastic shower curtains, where soap scum and mildew can quickly become an unattractive mess.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scum
Noun
-
Tanner spoke in a blend of political rabble-rousing and entrepreneurial uplift.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
21 Jan. 2026
-
There’s something quite magical, really, about millions of bits of colorful paper flying like snow through the air over a raucous rabble.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Tony's Jamaican Food Curry goat, oxtail and jerk chicken are a few of the traditional Jamaican specialties served at this friendly Pflugerville restaurant and East Austin food truck.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Smarmy jerks can get obscenely wealthy in this country just by managing other people’s money.—
Gilad Edelman,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That combination makes for a happy society and ensures a populace that drives a productive economy for years to come.—
Alexis Akwagyiram,
semafor.com,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The announcers need to study intensely, learning details not only about an athlete, but what a particular sport means to the populace of a country halfway around the world.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Austrian director Adrian Goiginger’s film Four Minus Three, the true story of a professional clown struck by tragedy, has won the Europa Cinemas Label as best European film in the Panorama section of the Berlinale.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Feb. 2026
-
There will be a clown, face painting and balloon art for the kids.—
Elizabeth Marie Himchak,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Investigators used genealogy sites to build a family tree and pulled trash from the Pennsylvania home of Kohberger’s parents to make a connection.—
Ed White,
Fortune,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The cunning canine can be seen carrying a large bag of trash with his teeth and gingerly leaving it on the roadside, according to video released by the Catania municipality Thursday.—
Barbie Latza Nadeau,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Pet stations and small lawns for playing are located on both the north and south ends of the resort, and dogs can always hang out on the pool deck (but can’t swim) or at the private beach.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Your dog's bowl should be at least a bit taller than the planter, so that your dog can easily drink from it.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Feb. 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
-
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has recorded 38 winter cases over the last five years, with the vast majority found in skunks.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
18 Feb. 2026
-
In addition, there’s the risk of secondary toxicity if a mole is eaten by a bird of prey or other predator including foxes and skunks.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scum. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
