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:
“Anthony the Turk” sounds like the sobriquet of a scoundrel in a Mafia movie.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
He’s a master of both Andersonian acting styles: the freewheeling scamp and the scoundrel who speaks with a sniper’s precision.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 2026
Foley’s satisfaction in playing a well-heeled scoundrel is palpable.
From Salon ● Nov. 29, 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
“You want that old scoundrel? You dare to seek him out!”
From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan
The world of “Star Wars” is full of scoundrels that fans can’t help but love for their swagger and independent moral code, and “Visions” installments “The Smuggler” and “The Bounty Hunters” add to that legacy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2025
Its offenders and unprosecuted scoundrels are extreme versions of the worst people, tapping the audience’s bottomless disbelief at human horrendousness.
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2025
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
We were not at all amused to hear that scoundrels were attempting to make a profit off the pauper’s food line tickets.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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.
