scandalous
Americanadjective
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disgraceful; shameful or shocking; improper.
scandalous behavior in public.
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defamatory or libelous, as a speech or writing.
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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
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 3
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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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.
Read more about Ponzi and other scandalous corporate misdeeds of the past 100+ years by signing up for 7 Financial Crimes That Rocked the U.S., a seven-week email series.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
"I think this is something that is, in many ways, quite scandalous."
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 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
Teases Echevarria, “tonally the episode is a little bit different and it’s a little more scandalous but certainly contemporary.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 20, 2026
The girl, who would grow up without a father, was named Theodora, after the scandalous empress of Byzantium whom Sourmelina admired.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
