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
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
The wastewater exits the home into the septic tank, where solids settle to the bottom of the tank to form a sludge layer, and the lighter waste forms a scum layer that floats at the top.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Aug. 2025
That practice left oily scum on beaches, along with various solids.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025
And sometimes the best care is not bringing in a bunch of — as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar put it — a throbbing scum of fame-hungry desperados.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for scum
Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 21 Aug. 2025
The wastewater exits the home into the septic tank, where solids settle to the bottom of the tank to form a sludge layer, and the lighter waste forms a scum layer that floats at the top.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Aug. 2025
That practice left oily scum on beaches, along with various solids.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025
And sometimes the best care is not bringing in a bunch of — as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar put it — a throbbing scum of fame-hungry desperados.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for scum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scum
Noun
-
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
-
There was little-to-no doubt Jurgen Klopp’s side were going to defeat Ralf Rangnick’s under-interim-management rabble that day.—
Carl Anka,
The Athletic,
4 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Saddled with an uninteresting jerk half the time and a muzzled non-entity the other half, there’s only a handful of moments in the first six episodes where Powell’s star power shines through.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
29 Sep. 2025
-
For a taste of the Caribbean, head to Kingston Kitchen at the Village Inn, where chef Shawn Fearon serves the flavors of his native Jamaica—oxtail, jerk chicken, ackee and saltfish, curried goat, and the best whitefish sandwich on the island.—
Christine Chitnis,
Vogue,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
As a result, their popularity is reflective of political and national sympathies among the populace in Mary’s time.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
-
This willingness of the AI to heap praise and act as a sycophant has worrying consequences for the populace as a whole.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
More than a decade later, the series continues to reimagine American histories and channel primal fears — from clowns and cults, to witches and ghosts — with each installment cloaked in social commentary and camp.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Oct. 2025
-
But that won't ease the fears of anyone who categorizes clowns as monsters.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The fee, which would fully pay the contractual costs tied to Johns Disposal Service, would exclude condominiums and commercial properties who already pay for private trash removal services and are not covered by the city's collection service.—
Jim Riccioli,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
-
An army of around 200 volunteers from the church and several charities were making food, picking up trash, guiding guests and MC'ing dance showcases, said Mary Cantrell, who has been a key organizer since 1993.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Robot explorers for the moon Because some parts are too tight or dangerous for humans to explore, the robotic dogs act as scouts, mapping and analyzing the environment.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Oct. 2025
-
No one said the obvious, which was that the dog would probably be hit by another vehicle.—
Ron Arias,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Somehow, this respectable foe of radicalism had organized the political realignment that broke up the Union, sustained the war that overthrew the South’s ruling class, and managed the struggle that emancipated its proletariat.—
Matthew Karp,
Harpers Magazine,
29 Apr. 2025
-
As is the case with the aesthetics of people, exquisite lines can be found on patrician and proletariat cars alike.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Rabies can be found in many other wildlife species, including raccoons, skunks, coyotes and foxes.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
18 Sep. 2025
-
After World War I, fur remained a status garment, though lower-cost furs like skunk, mole, and musquash entered mainstream winter wear.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scum. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share