as in immoral
not guided by or showing a concern for what is right
an unscrupulous businessman manipulated them into selling their land for practically nothing
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 unscrupulous
This was meant to prevent unscrupulous spammers from being able to send unauthenticated email that could come complete with a nefarious payload.
—
Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
The second suit, brought by the City of Baltimore, charges sportsbooks DraftKings and FanDuel with unscrupulous promotional tactics prodding users toward irresponsible gambling.
—David B. McGarry, Baltimore Sun, 21 Apr. 2025
Everyone in Hollywood figured Glick was based on the outsized personality and (allegedly) unscrupulous behavior of screenwriter turned producer Jerry Wald.
—Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 20 Apr. 2025
Worse, the law is now being used by unscrupulous lawyers and doctors to stage phony accidents.
—John Faso, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unscrupulous
Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
The second suit, brought by the City of Baltimore, charges sportsbooks DraftKings and FanDuel with unscrupulous promotional tactics prodding users toward irresponsible gambling.
—David B. McGarry, Baltimore Sun, 21 Apr. 2025
Everyone in Hollywood figured Glick was based on the outsized personality and (allegedly) unscrupulous behavior of screenwriter turned producer Jerry Wald.
—Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 20 Apr. 2025
Worse, the law is now being used by unscrupulous lawyers and doctors to stage phony accidents.
—John Faso, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unscrupulous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unscrupulous
Adjective
-
Even children and adolescents express more willingness to shun and punish moral transgressors than people who do something personally obnoxious or offensive but not immoral.—
Jen Cole Wright,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Regardless of what transpired between the two cast members, on or off screen, Aspen was unfairly portrayed as an immoral character.—
Taylor Crumpton,
Essence,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
There’s an undercurrent of electricity between her and the ruthless cartel leader (Salma Hayek) using her as a bargaining chip, but Stone is too cowardly to let the hotties smooch, squandering the only energy Lively was able to muster for this potent strain of mess.—
Lizzie Logan,
Vulture,
2 May 2025
-
To his critics, his centralization of power and ruthless purge of opponents put Malaysia on an authoritarian trajectory.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
2 May 2025
Adjective
-
Rosamund Pike adds her name to the cast list, starring as a diamond seller whose family launders their profits through corrupt back-channels.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
-
Countless cases have shown how these schemes have granted safe haven to corrupt actors from around the world and other suspicious individuals in the EU.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The notorious Sackler family, opioid pushers responsible for countless cases of addiction and death, can’t seem to settle their legal problems without turning to some kind of unprincipled maneuver.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Feb. 2025
-
Objective voters who watched the recent documentary about Lev Parnas, once a Trump ally, should fear a redux of a Cabinet running the government for an angry, unhinged, unprincipled man.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
Such research, of course, would be grossly unethical.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
5 May 2025
-
Victims’ families have complained over the years about the insensitive and unethical ways producers have approached them.—
John J. Lennon,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unscrupulous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unscrupulous. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share