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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 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
-
Initially blocked by recalcitrant Democratic members of the House, the legislation was reintroduced during a lame-duck session following the 2024 election.—
Andrew Cockburn,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
-
As lame as the fact that an Erewhon smoothie costs $19 is that so many of us need to be paid to be nice to each other.—
Swan Huntley,
Los Angeles Times,
25 May 2026
Adjective
-
The standard height for an off-the-shelf front door is six feet and eight inches — pitiful, really.—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
19 Nov. 2025
-
Sheridan seemed more interested in devoting his time and energy to his several other series, including Landman, which aired its first season concurrently with that pitiful final stretch.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
16 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
McDermott is standing by Brady despite the Bills’ barf-tabulous performance against a defense established as wretched long before trading away one of its best players, linebacker Jaelan Phillips, at last week’s trade deadline.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Yes, Baltimore’s defense is wretched, so don’t count on this being a cure-all, exactly.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This momentum reflects rapid advances in both AI and hardware over the past two years, driven by better models and cheaper components.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Dec. 2025
-
More people appear to be walking away from Affordable Care Act coverage or switching to cheaper plans for 2026 compared to this time last year, according to early enrollment data from several states.—
Berkeley Lovelace Jr,
NBC news,
11 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
This problem usually begins in hidden crevices in seals and gaskets, but this nasty biofilm can eventually spread and make your dishwasher unsanitary.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
10 Dec. 2025
-
Fluent in the Dominican power bouyon offshoot known as nasty business, Miimii commands the enterprise with sing-speak vocals that operate on a strictly single-entendre basis, dispensing with innuendo to directly address the question on her suitor’s hips.—
Pitchfork,
Pitchfork,
10 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
There are two freezer martini variations – one with vodka, served dirty and another with gin and a lemon twist.—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 June 2026
-
Wet bathing suits and dirty clothes need somewhere to go once your kid has changed into something dry and clean.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
His mean zingers, on the other hand, sound like his own work.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
11 June 2026
-
Teams like Haiti, Jordan and Curacao provide pillowy cushions in otherwise mean-spirited, competitive groups.—
Filip Bondy,
New York Daily News,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
One of the guests makes a disgusting joke involving the boat and lubricant.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
26 Aug. 2025
-
Danny DeVito, who plays the hilarious and disgusting Frank Reynolds on Always Sunny, used to be married to a fellow comedy legend, Rhea Perlman.—
Allison DeGrushe Published,
EW.com,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scurvy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scurvy. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
