as in lame
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
after winning the lottery, she was beset by a whole scurvy swarm of con artists, ne'er-do-wells, and hangers-on
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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
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
-
Smith said the legislation could pass in December, during the lame-duck session of Congress that will follow November’s midterm elections, but that the coming days are critical.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Maybe that’s a lame hook, but that, combined with the return of reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, gets them back in their spot.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Given that California ranks a pitiful 49th in the nation in the condition, safety and costs of roads and bridges, according to the Reason Foundation’s 2025 Annual Highway Report, taxpayers’ transportation dollars would likely be better spent elsewhere.—
Adam Summers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Granted, those three performances were pitiful.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Now, Shinia is being given the business by Miranda, who has been put in a truly wretched position.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Injuries should have derailed the Warriors’ chances of making the postseason, but ninth-seeded Golden State is all but guaranteed to make the play-in regardless of how wretched the rest of the season goes.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, compounding pharmacies that sell cheaper knockoffs of these products are disrupting the marketplace.—
CHRISTOPHER ROWLAND THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Mail-only ballot elections are a cheaper, though slightly uncommon, alternative for cities when no candidates are on the ballot, like in the case of the upcoming April 21 election in the City Beautiful, according to Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Based on a tragic true-life incident, director Joe Carnahan's survival thriller stars Zachary Levi as one of four friends who head out on a fishing expedition and their boat capsizes in a nasty storm.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Murder by Numbers is an entertainingly nasty thriller about two high-schoolers, popular Richard (Gosling) and introverted Justin (Michael Pitt), who plan the perfect murder and frame a local drug dealer for it.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Article continues below Maul is a dirtier, grungier imagining of the Star Wars universe, leaning into the darker moments of shows like The Clone Wars and Rebels.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Workshops offered by Best Cabo Adventures allow visitors to get their hands dirty and make their own clay works—while sampling tequila, of course.—
Latifah Al Hazza,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Tom said, Don’t let Isom get mean.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Meester is pure unhinged mean girl personified as the Kaylinn of Gloria’s imagination, contextualizing every Insta post in the most outrageous extremities that only hurts her own sense of self.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Most residents of the United Arab Emirates are South Asians, most of whom have come not for disgusting luxury but for comfortable, middle-class dignity that would be difficult to obtain in their home countries.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
15 Mar. 2026
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On the phone, Miranda admits she’s known for a week, but agrees that what Shinia did was disgusting.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scurvy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scurvy. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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