scoundrel
Americannoun
-
scoundrels
plural
adjective
noun
Synonym Usage
See knave.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
The question Mr. Junod explores is whether his father was a scoundrel or merely a rascal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026
He’s similar to Adam Sandler’s rapacious jeweler in “Uncut Gems,” except that scoundrel contained his damage to the Diamond District and people as shady as him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2025
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
He would be a scoundrel if he were Brad Pitt, but he’s not.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 10, 2023
At this, there was a rattle in the bushes, and Werfel appeared—“Hold, you scoundrel du Burgh!”—hopping on one leg, trying to untangle his bedsheets from the bushes.
From "The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge" by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin
On X, Tracey said that “LOTS of people” have “‘messy’ dating/romantic histories,” but they shouldn’t be “excluded from public service because scoundrels will exaggerate/distort stuff.”
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
Even when scoundrels are convicted, as Milton was, the prominent people who were in their orbit, if only peripherally, keep their reputations and wealth mostly intact.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2025
Bending disclosure rules is, to his mind, perpetually justified by the desire to shield his good name from any scoundrels who would dare speak ill of him.
From Slate ● May 8, 2023
In each of those elections, scoundrels and cheats — let’s call them what they are — went down to narrow, deserved defeat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 2023
Didn’t scoundrels usually have ill-gotten gains lying around somewhere?
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
