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
Synonyms
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
Another assesses the scandalous decline in living standards across the country, no matter who is in control.
—
Lisa Anderson, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
Pecker's testimony illustrated the prosecution argument that Trump conspired to hide scandalous stories before the 2016 election, although Trump denies paying for them.
—Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 23 Apr. 2024
Disney's CinemaCon presentation also included other glimpses of upcoming titles ranging from family-friendly (Inside Out 2) to horrific (Alien: Romulus) to downright scandalous (Deadpool & Wolverine).
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
Many famous beefs have involved scandalous personal attacks.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
Starting right after her death, however, when her sister Casandra tries her best to protect her reputation – mostly by desperately looking for the potentially scandalous letters her famous sister left behind.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 7 Apr. 2024
McAllister wants to talk about the scandalous association.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2024
There is zero evidence to support these scandalous allegations — indeed, all available evidence demonstrates the Church had nothing to do with the alleged acts.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Zendaya is turning up the heat in this provocative tennis drama from director Luca Guadagnino, where a scandalous love triangle takes center court.
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 5 Jan. 2024
Lisa Anderson, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
Pecker's testimony illustrated the prosecution argument that Trump conspired to hide scandalous stories before the 2016 election, although Trump denies paying for them.
—Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 23 Apr. 2024
Disney's CinemaCon presentation also included other glimpses of upcoming titles ranging from family-friendly (Inside Out 2) to horrific (Alien: Romulus) to downright scandalous (Deadpool & Wolverine).
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
Many famous beefs have involved scandalous personal attacks.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
Starting right after her death, however, when her sister Casandra tries her best to protect her reputation – mostly by desperately looking for the potentially scandalous letters her famous sister left behind.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 7 Apr. 2024
McAllister wants to talk about the scandalous association.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2024
There is zero evidence to support these scandalous allegations — indeed, all available evidence demonstrates the Church had nothing to do with the alleged acts.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Zendaya is turning up the heat in this provocative tennis drama from director Luca Guadagnino, where a scandalous love triangle takes center court.
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 5 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scandalous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near scandalous
Cite this Entry
“Scandalous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scandalous. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
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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