scandalous

[skan-dl-uhs]

adjective

1. disgraceful; shameful or shocking; improper.

   scandalous behavior in public.

2. defamatory or libelous, as a speech or writing.

3. attracted to or preoccupied with scandal, as a person.

   a scandalous, vicious gossip.

Other Word Forms

• scandalously adverb
• scandalousness noun
• nonscandalous adjective
• nonscandalously adverb
• superscandalous adjective
• superscandalously adverb
• unscandalous adjective
• unscandalously adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of scandalous¹

From the Medieval Latin word scandalōsus, dating back to 1585–95. See scandal, -ous

Example Sentences

"To have jumped through all of those hoops and then have a tribunal award that never gets paid is frankly scandalous," said policy manager Emer Sheehy.

From BBC

“The same actions carried out clandestinely would seem scandalous, because they are — and the fact they were so blatantly advertised does not make them less corrupt.”

From Los Angeles Times

But Keegan felt it was "scandalous" to blame Batty and Asprilla and instead pointed to a number of key players losing form.

From BBC

Students of history will recall that, about nine months ago, taking money from a foreign energy firm was once deemed scandalous by America’s ruling party.

From Salon

Defend Our Juries said among those detained were a former government lawyer and a law student, which the group described as "scandalous".

From BBC

Related Words

• defamatory 
• disgraceful 
• heinous 
• outrageous 
• scurrilous 
• shameful 
• shocking 
• slanderous 
• unseemly 
• untrue