scurrilous
Americanadjective
-
grossly or obscenely abusive.
a scurrilous attack on the mayor.
- Synonyms:
- offensive, insulting, vituperative
-
characterized by or using low buffoonery; coarsely jocular or derisive.
a scurrilous jest.
- Synonyms:
- vulgar
adjective
-
grossly or obscenely abusive or defamatory
-
characterized by gross or obscene humour
Other Word Forms
- scurrility noun
- scurrilously adverb
- scurrilousness noun
Etymology
Origin of scurrilous
Explanation
If something is scurrilous, it's meant to offend. Scurrilous rumors can give you a bad reputation, and scurrilous stories sell tabloid magazines. If you say something scurrilous about someone, your intentions are bad: you mean to damage their reputation or insult them (or quite possibly both). Writing an article for the school newspaper in which you claim that your math teacher has a secret life as a circus clown could be seen as a scurrilous attack, unless she proudly moonlights entertaining kids with her juggling skills. This adjective comes from the Latin scurrilis, "buffoonlike."
Vocabulary lists containing scurrilous
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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.
But Prime Minister Keir Starmer vehemently denied the accusations in parliament as "a red herring" and "completely scurrilous".
From Barron's • Dec. 3, 2025
“This civil lawsuit based upon 30-plus-year-old allegations is filled with scurrilous lies, exaggerations and misrepresentations regarding Linda McMahon,” she said.
From Salon • Nov. 22, 2024
A representative for Copperfield told BBC News the allegations were "false and scurrilous" and "the exact opposite of who David is".
From BBC • May 15, 2024
But there is no such right, and Fox’s claim was not only faulty but scurrilous.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2023
“He’s a scurrilous dog, that man,” she muttered.
From "Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson
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.
