scoundrel
Americannoun
adjective
noun
Related Words
See knave.
Other Word Forms
- scoundrelly adjective
Etymology
Origin of scoundrel
First recorded in 1580–90; origin uncertain
Explanation
A scoundrel is a person who does deliberately evil things. If your brother hides a fake mouse in your shoe and you therefore almost have a heart attack while getting dressed, you have every right to call him a scoundrel. Though the term scoundrel isn’t used as much as it once was, it’s the perfect way to describe someone who breaks the law, has no morals, or someone like your sneaky sibling who loves to play practical jokes. Most villains in movies and on television can be put in this category. Interestingly, though women are quite capable of equally wicked behavior, this particular term is usually reserved for men.
Vocabulary lists containing scoundrel
Scrooge, Grinch, and Churl: Wonderful Words for Unpleasant People
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"The Treasure of Lemon Brown"
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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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.
The question Mr. Junod explores is whether his father was a scoundrel or merely a rascal.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026
Today Reggie Bush would not be considered a scoundrel.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 23, 2023
In American journalism it is permissible, although not as common as it needs to be, to call an elected scoundrel a scoundrel.
From Salon • May 20, 2023
Meanwhile, Dukes’s fellow delegates at the statehouse derided him as a scoundrel and maneuvered to expel him from office.
From Washington Post • Dec. 26, 2022
“Such long faces! Cheer up, friends. Many a scoundrel has made their fortune out west. Of course, that is all assuming you survive.”
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.
