scandal

American  

[skan-dl] / ˈskæn dl /

noun

scandals plural

1. a disgraceful or discreditable action, circumstance, etc.

2. an offense caused by a fault or misdeed.

3. damage to reputation; public disgrace.

   Synonyms:

   ignominy, opprobrium, disrepute, shame, dishonor, discredit

4. defamatory talk; malicious gossip.

   Synonyms:

   obloquy, aspersion, calumny, slander

   Antonyms:

   praise, honor

5. a person whose conduct brings disgrace or offense.

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verb (used with object)

scandaled, scandaling, scandalled, scandalling

1. British Dialect. to defame (someone) by spreading scandal.

2. Obsolete. to disgrace.

scandal British  

/ ˈskændəl /

noun

1. a disgraceful action or event

   his negligence was a scandal

2. censure or outrage arising from an action or event

3. a person whose conduct causes reproach or disgrace

4. malicious talk, esp gossip about the private lives of other people

5. law a libellous action or statement

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verb

1. to disgrace

2. to scandalize

Synonym Usage

See gossip.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• miniscandal
  noun
• scandalousness
  noun
• superscandal
  noun
• scandalous
  adjective
• scandalously
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• scandals
  plural

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

Explanation

Scandal is disgraceful events or nasty gossip about people's private lives, like the scandal that erupted when you were seen at the mall with your best friend's girlfriend. Just because there's a scandal, it doesn't mean it's always true — being seen with your friend's girl? What the gossips didn't know it that you were buying his birthday present. Some scandals, though, involve public figures who have been found guilty. For example, if a politician is found guilty of taking bribes, that's a scandal that will rock your town, causing outrage not to mention the end of that politician's career.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

scandal scandals

But she acknowledged the importance of an Indigenous candidate, four years after the audio leak scandal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Is this going to be a huge scandal?

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

To date, the scandal has seen just one sitting politician arrested on charges tied to the scandal.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

In 2018, Lula was sentenced to 12 years in prison over a massive corruption and bribery scandal, but was released after serving a little over 18 months.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

But the public—and especially the public in Shaker Heights—was deeply invested in the Mirabelle McCullough case now, and this, unlike the intern scandal, felt deadly serious.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

“Go Gentle, “Almost Life,” “New Skin” and “The Summer Boy” are just a few of our summer book picks filled with secrets, scandals and seaside romance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

Jackson, who campaigned heavily with Platner before the scandals, had the support of roughly 75 percent of the volunteers who rallied behind the now-disgraced former Senate candidate.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

He announced that he would resign as prime minister and Labour Party leader in June after a string of scandals, missteps and policy U-turns blighted his leadership.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

By rubber-stamping a fourth term despite these toxic scandals, football's governing bodies are showing they are content to sit in rotten squalor rather than strive for something better.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

Opposing them were the Half-Breeds, who considered Grant a losing candidate because many voters had become disgusted by the scandals and corruption during his time in office.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow

Related Words

• crime
• rumor
• wrongdoing