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
Skim the scum from the surface of the liquid with a spoon.
—
Malaka Gharib, NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
The Guardsmen in McPherson Square, ferried there by U.S. Park Service personnel, seemed a world removed from crime and savagery and scum.
—Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Disneyland has dropped reservation requirements for the once wildly popular Oga’s Cantina six years after the wretched hive of scum and villainy opened to hourslong standby lines that forced the Anaheim theme park to hastily install a reservation system.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 21 Aug. 2025
That practice left oily scum on beaches, along with various solids.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scum
Malaka Gharib, NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
The Guardsmen in McPherson Square, ferried there by U.S. Park Service personnel, seemed a world removed from crime and savagery and scum.
—Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Disneyland has dropped reservation requirements for the once wildly popular Oga’s Cantina six years after the wretched hive of scum and villainy opened to hourslong standby lines that forced the Anaheim theme park to hastily install a reservation system.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 21 Aug. 2025
That practice left oily scum on beaches, along with various solids.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scum
Noun
-
Hundreds of companies are a disorganized rabble.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Steve heads up a reform school for volatile, cursing and rabble-rousing English boys, and his mental health is tested when a documentary crew shows up and word gets out the school is closing.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
For Caribbean cuisine, stop by The Jerk Shack, where Chef Nicola Blaque channels a decade of Army discipline into flavorful jerk chicken and oxtail plates.—
Symiah Dorsey,
Southern Living,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Gave the two jerks her very best.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
As 39% of the United Kingdom populace struggles to heat their homes, Edelstyn and Powell huddle under blankets themselves, trying vainly to warm up with endless mugs of tea.—
Will Tizard,
Variety,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Each district sends two children as tributes to the fight-to-the-death Hunger Games, concocted by the capitol to keep the populace distracted.—
Adam Bell,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This guy might be single-handedly responsible for generations of people having an irrational fear of clowns.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Unlike past attempts at fictionalizing his life, Macmanus barely touches on the fact that Gacy had a hobby of dressing up like a clown, and doesn’t show any actual murders in the series.—
Elisabeth Garber-Paul,
Rolling Stone,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In the middle of his struggle, according to several people who were seated courtside, a fan started talking some serious trash.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
-
While disposals, drains, trash bins, and dishwashers are some of the most likely culprits, your walls and other surfaces could be a source of lingering odors, too.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Your mood and approach will have a big impact on your dog’s behavior.—
Madeline Gunderson,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The dog, who was unhurt, was reunited with its owners.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Severin, on the other hand, represents the revolutionary proletariat.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Lower than proletariat workers, the lumpenproletariat includes the indigent and the unemployable, those cast out of the workforce with no recourse, or those who can’t enter it in the first place, such as young workers in times of economic depression.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Rodents, possums, and skunks show up to snack on the flesh and seeds.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
31 Oct. 2025
-
While striped skunk is edible, Coalition Brewing warns against its strong odor, scavenger diet and susceptibility to parasites.—
Stuart Dyos,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scum. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share