scandalous
adjective
scan·dal·ous
ˈskan-də-ləs 
1
: libelous, defamatory
scandalous allegations
2
: offensive to propriety or morality : shocking
scandalous behavior
scandalously
adverb
scandalousness
noun
Examples of scandalous in a Sentence
Sex was a scandalous subject back then.
The magazine published scandalous pictures of the movie star.
The high price of gas these days is scandalous.
She was spreading scandalous rumors about him.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Juniper Tree’s protagonist carries on in the face of maternal abuse, a scandalous out-of-wedlock pregnancy, and a series of calamitous events that expose the dark underside of domesticity.
—
Sara Krolewski, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026
Vladimir Nabokov’s controversial novel about a middle-age literature professor, Humbert Humbert (James Mason), who falls in love with an underage girl was scandalous in its day, too.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
From jeans to royal evictions and a trip to space, here are the most scandalous moments in the calendar year.
—Sarah Sotoodeh, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025
Brigitte Bardot, the enchanting French starlet with the marvelous pout who became a carefree icon of sexuality in the 1950s and ’60s after her liberated performance in the scandalous And God Created Woman, has died.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scandalous
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Sara Krolewski, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026
Vladimir Nabokov’s controversial novel about a middle-age literature professor, Humbert Humbert (James Mason), who falls in love with an underage girl was scandalous in its day, too.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
From jeans to royal evictions and a trip to space, here are the most scandalous moments in the calendar year.
—Sarah Sotoodeh, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025
Brigitte Bardot, the enchanting French starlet with the marvelous pout who became a carefree icon of sexuality in the 1950s and ’60s after her liberated performance in the scandalous And God Created Woman, has died.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scandalous
Cite this Entry
“Scandalous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scandalous. Accessed 7 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scandalous
adjective
scan·dal·ous
ˈskan-d(ə-)ləs
1
: harmful to one's reputation : defamatory
denied the truth of the scandalous rumors
2
: shocking
scandalous behavior
scandalously
adverb
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