scandalous
Americanadjective
-
disgraceful; shameful or shocking; improper.
scandalous behavior in public.
-
defamatory or libelous, as a speech or writing.
-
attracted to or preoccupied with scandal, as a person.
a scandalous, vicious gossip.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of scandalous
From the Medieval Latin word scandalōsus, dating back to 1585–95. See scandal, -ous
Explanation
Scandalous describes something that's shocking, and maybe a little embarrassing or even offensive. Your great-grandfather might be a scandalous character in your family history if he was married seven times, each time to younger and younger wives. The adjective scandalous can refer to something morally offensive, or even illegal, although it's used often simply to mean "shocking". It describes something that has potential to cause a scandal, which comes from the Greek skandalon, "a trap laid for an enemy." This idea of a trap or a snare is a great metaphor; you can stumble into scandal as if it's just waiting for you to make a misstep, and if you do the results will be scandalous.
Vocabulary lists containing scandalous
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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 I want to be precise about what is actually scandalous here, because everyone keeps aiming at the wrong target.
From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2026
The hearing had not previously been made public, and RSF advocacy manager Aleksandra Bielakowska called the development "scandalous".
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Directed by Cynthia Lawrence, Douglas Moore’s stagework recounts the true story of the scandalous 19th-century romance between Elizabeth “Baby Doe” McCourt and rising Denver political star and mine owner Horace Tabor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
"There is no fairness in football anymore, but $1,000 for Scotland v Haiti tickets - that is scandalous," he told the BBC.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
But the paper presented these allegations as scandalous bombshells, call-ing them “startling disclosures.”
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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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.
