scurvy

Synonym Chooser

How is the word scurvy different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of scurvy are contemptible, despicable, pitiable, and sorry. While all these words mean "arousing or deserving scorn," scurvy adds to despicable an implication of arousing disgust.

a scurvy crew of hangers-on

When might contemptible be a better fit than scurvy?

The synonyms contemptible and scurvy are sometimes interchangeable, but contemptible may imply any quality provoking scorn or a low standing in any scale of values.

a contemptible liar

When can despicable be used instead of scurvy?

The words despicable and scurvy can be used in similar contexts, but despicable may imply utter worthlessness and usually suggests arousing an attitude of moral indignation.

a despicable crime

When would pitiable be a good substitute for scurvy?

The words pitiable and scurvy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, pitiable applies to what inspires mixed contempt and pity.

a pitiable attempt at tragedy

When could sorry be used to replace scurvy?

In some situations, the words sorry and scurvy are roughly equivalent. However, sorry may stress pitiable inadequacy or may suggest wretchedness or sordidness.

this rattletrap is a sorry excuse for a car

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 scurvy Perhaps best known as a immune-system boost or antidote to scurvy, vitamin C has been found to rejuvenate aging skin by reactivating genes responsible for cell growth. New Atlas, 6 July 2025 The latest research indicates that the men split into groups sometime after April 1848, with some parties surviving longer than others but all ultimately dying of starvation, scurvy, exposure, physical exhaustion and chronic illnesses, among other causes. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 May 2025 William and his assistants were nonetheless able to build solid pillars of data, mass death broken down into discrete numerals to represent sexes, ages, locations, seasons, years, and causes of mortality, which included starvation, scurvy, dysentery, cholera, typhus, and relapsing fever. Fintan O'Toole, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025 In the Age of Sail, mercury was used on ships to treat fever, scurvy, constipation, and more, often in the form of calomel, or mercurous chloride. Sallie Tisdale, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for scurvy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scurvy
Adjective
  • Shootouts are lame in comparison.
    Chris Branch, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
  • On the other hand, Powell probably has little incentive to commit firmly given high lame-duck status and the fact that more employment and inflation numbers will hit before the September meeting.
    Michael Santoli, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • As del Toro sees it, Frankenstein’s pitiful creation has been cursed with life, cannot be killed (even bullets don’t stop him) and must face the same existential crisis that confronts us all.
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 30 Aug. 2025
  • Over 1,000 murdered whilst queuing for aid, starved due to their siege, whilst pitiful amounts of aid delivered by a sham agency controlled by Israel.
    Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Soldiers stationed in the area remarked on the wretched smell of decomposition well into 1917, a year after the battle ended.
    Michael Jerome Plunkett September 5, Literary Hub, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Invisible anguish is especially wretched.
    Charlie Campbell, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • But that cheaper investment has largely been eviscerated, according to a cadre of sports bankers CNBC interviewed.
    Michael Ozanian, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Travelers can snag cheap flights to explore New York in September and October.
    Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Sean Gardner/Getty Images This comes just weeks after Zilisch suffered a nasty fall from his car in Victory Lane at Watkins Glen, which resulted in a broken collarbone.
    Lydia Mee, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Parents pushing, people cutting lines, nasty attitudes everywhere, especially outside and in Sephora.
    Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Wearing shoes in the home tracks soil from outside, leaving floors dirtier and requiring more frequent sweeping.
    Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Laptop screens get spattered, smeared, dusty, and dirty from frequent use.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • What's the meanest tweet ever directed at you?
    Indianapolis Star, IndyStar, 5 Sep. 2025
  • The mean first frost date in the city is September 20, based on data between 1991 and 2020, according to the NWS.
    Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • And putting it on her fingers and in your babies mouth is disgusting.
    Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Because there are more aliens aboard the Maginot than just a Xenomorph, Hawley adds a few new wrinkles to the usual disgusting Alien progression of face-hugger to chest-burster.
    Noel Murray, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scurvy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scurvy. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on scurvy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!