scandalize
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to shock or horrify by something considered immoral or improper.
-
Nautical. to spill the wind from or reduce the exposed area of (a sail) in an unusual manner.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has scandalizedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have scandalizedperfect
-
is scandalizingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
has been scandalizingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
are scandalizingprogressive
-
have been scandalizingperfect progressive
-
am scandalizingprogressive 1st person singular
-
scandalizessingular 3rd person
-
scandalizingparticiple
Past
-
had scandalizedperfect
-
had been scandalizingperfect progressive
-
were scandalizingprogressive plural
-
was scandalizingprogressive singular
-
scandalizedsimple
-
scandalizedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of scandalize
1480–90; < Late Latin scandalizāre < Late Greek skandalízein. See scandal, -ize
Vocabulary lists containing scandalize
List 8
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
List 9
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Vocabulary from Readings 3, Unit 3
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It is a risky undertaking—one that will probably scandalize the purists—but it is also a profoundly literary one.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Public Image Ltd., also known as PiL, did not scandalize polite society in Britain as the Sex Pistols had with their haute-guttersnipe fashion sense, obscenity-laced television tirades and unceasing potshots at the queen.
From New York Times • Nov. 18, 2022
Here’s a way to scandalize your guests at your holiday party: Serve them boxed wine.
From Washington Post • Dec. 8, 2021
Her final chapter titled “Wild Child” is a panorama of bad deeds, as if to scandalize her children while also freeing them from fear of failure or harsh judgment.
From Salon • Oct. 17, 2019
I think Jackson got it to scandalize me, since the red velvet cover was decidedly lurid, but it ended up being a very good story.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
