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
-
Saying the house is like a character too sounds a bit lame.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
That huge war chest would be especially remarkable amassed by a lame-duck president.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Gallup reached only 50,000 people, a pitiful fraction of The Literary Digest’s awe-inspiring mailbag.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Mercy came via a bye week, the pitiful Raiders and an inept Cowboys defense.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
As with much else in this wretched administration, the initial refusal to review Moderna’s vaccine was a transparent pretext for officials to pursue political and ideological preferences under the guise of regular government administration.—
The Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Feb. 2026
-
There were still seasons, birds and bees, and days and weeks in all their wretched assuredness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Their weekly grocery bill has dropped from the equivalent of about $400 to $267; fuel and public transport are 40% cheaper; and GP visits cost 25% less – with same-day appointments replacing week-long waits.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Respect yourself by choosing quality items over the cheapest possible options, then treat those purchases with care.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Vonn’s hugely successful World Cup season at age 41 was ended by a nasty crash one month ago at the Milan Cortina Olympics that wrecked her left leg.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
In the first inning of the club’s matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday afternoon, Sal Frelick waved haplessly at a nasty changeup from Edward Cabrera for his first strikeout of the day.—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
One solution is to wash dirty clothes right away, but this isn't always possible.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
3 Mar. 2026
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On top of that, the restaurant has rotating soft serve, sauce and dirty soda flavors.—
Carolyn Stein,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
One sister’s adult son and daughter have always been mean to me.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Washington Post,
6 Mar. 2026
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By 1997, there was another TV remake with Brandy starring as Cinderella for a new generation, with Bernadette Peters as her mean stepmother and Whitney Houston as the fairy godmother.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Critics at its first press screening called the film disgusting, accusing it of exploiting both its oblivious subjects and the beloved former first lady.—
Rosemary Counter,
Vanity Fair,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Just last week the president tweeted a vile and disgusting image of President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, and refuses to apologize.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scurvy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scurvy. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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