scandalous

adjective

scan·​dal·​ous ˈskan-də-ləs How to pronounce scandalous (audio)
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
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.
Her performances, with their risqué dance moves, were also deemed scandalous by many. Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 1 Feb. 2025 Trump’s political actions and statements, whether policy-oriented or scandalous, tend to evoke strong emotions. Maxim Voronov, Scientific American, 24 Jan. 2025 Tom Nichols: Stalin’s revenge From a liberal point of view, comparing the anti-Soviet revolutions of 1989 with the illiberal revolutions today might seem scandalous. Ivan Krastev, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2025 The intent is to foreground and amplify the story’s scandalous underpinnings, which, in all fairness, were loosely veiled to begin with. The New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for scandalous 

Word History

First Known Use

1575, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scandalous was in 1575

Dictionary Entries Near scandalous

Cite this Entry

“Scandalous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scandalous. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

scandalous

adjective
scan·​dal·​ous ˈskan-d(ə-)ləs How to pronounce scandalous (audio)
1
: harmful to one's reputation : defamatory
denied the truth of the scandalous rumors
2
: shocking
scandalous behavior
scandalously adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on scandalous

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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