scandal
Americannoun
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a disgraceful or discreditable action, circumstance, etc.
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an offense caused by a fault or misdeed.
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damage to reputation; public disgrace.
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defamatory talk; malicious gossip.
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a person whose conduct brings disgrace or offense.
verb (used with object)
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British Dialect. to defame (someone) by spreading scandal.
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Obsolete. to disgrace.
noun
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a disgraceful action or event
his negligence was a scandal
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censure or outrage arising from an action or event
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a person whose conduct causes reproach or disgrace
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malicious talk, esp gossip about the private lives of other people
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law a libellous action or statement
verb
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to disgrace
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to scandalize
Related Words
See gossip.
Other Word Forms
- miniscandal noun
- scandalous adjective
- scandalously adverb
- scandalousness noun
- superscandal noun
Etymology
Origin of scandal
1175–1225; from Late Latin scandalum from Late Greek skándalon “snare, cause of moral stumbling”; replacing Middle English scandle from Old French (north) escandle from Late Latin, as above
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.
Even better, the tale included pretty young women, a mysterious murder, and the possibility of scandal—all elements that the reading public couldn’t resist.
From Literature
An MoD source said it would "ruthlessly pursue any information that can shed light on this scandal".
From BBC
The future isn’t so bright for employees of companies that imploded because of a scandal that involved fraud, court trials and widespread news coverage, the researchers found.
Four people have been found guilty and given jail terms by a Greek court after a wiretapping scandal shook the country in 2022.
From BBC
Rama's own deputy is also embroiled in a corruption scandal.
From Barron's
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.
