scurvy

5 synonyms for scurvy, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A disease caused by a lack of vitamin C, causing bleeding gums, loose teeth, and skin spots.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

low

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

miserable

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

scorbutus scummy abject

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A disease caused by a lack of vitamin C, causing bleeding gums, loose teeth, and skin spots.

“Sailors on long voyages once suffered terribly from scurvy before citrus fruit became standard rations.”

scorbutus

2. adjective

Mean, despicable, or contemptible.

“a scurvy knave a scurvy trick”

scummy low miserable abject

How to use scurvy

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

scurvy dog a case of scurvy

Etymology

From Late Middle English forms of "scurfy" (having scurf, or flaky skin), from "scurf," a skin condition causing flakes — ultimately from Old English scurf.

Full origin of scurvy →

Frequently asked questions

What does “scurvy” mean?

The word “scurvy” means a disease caused by a lack of vitamin C, causing bleeding gums, loose teeth, and skin spots. In plain terms, most commonly the vitamin-C deficiency disease; as an old-fashioned adjective, it means low, mean, or contemptible.

How do you pronounce “scurvy”?

“Scurvy” is pronounced SKUR-vee (/ˈskɜɹvi/ in IPA).

How do you use “scurvy” in a sentence?

Here is “scurvy” used in a sentence: “Sailors on long voyages once suffered terribly from scurvy before citrus fruit became standard rations.”

What part of speech is “scurvy”?

Depending on how it is used, “scurvy” can be a noun and an adjective.

Where does the word “scurvy” come from?

The word “scurvy” comes from Old English. From Late Middle English forms of "scurfy" (having scurf, or flaky skin), from "scurf," a skin condition causing flakes — ultimately from Old English scurf.

How many meanings does “scurvy” have?

“Scurvy” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a disease caused by a lack of vitamin C, causing bleeding gums, loose teeth, and skin spots.

Related words

ascorbic morphew scorbic scorbutic

People also searched

low miserable scummy abject

Nearby words

← Back to the full definition of scurvy