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adj Uncommon

scandalous

SKAN-duh-luhs

Scandalous (adj) means shocking or disgraceful enough to cause public outrage. Example: “The company's scandalous treatment of its workers made headlines.”

adj
1
Shocking or disgraceful enough to cause public outrage.
"The company's scandalous treatment of its workers made headlines."
2
Exceeding what is reasonable or acceptable; outrageous.
"It's scandalous how much they charge for parking here."

How to use scandalous

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDescribes behaviour or a situation shocking enough to cause outrage, or, more loosely, something outrageously unreasonable.

Common pairings
scandalous behaviour scandalous prices utterly scandalous

Word forms

more scandalous comparative, most scandalous superlative

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The company's _____ treatment of its workers made headlines.

Etymology

From Old French scandaleux, ultimately from the same Latin/Greek root as "scandal."

Origin: Latin

Rhymes for scandalous

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Frequently asked questions

What does “scandalous” mean?

The word “scandalous” means shocking or disgraceful enough to cause public outrage. In plain terms, describes behaviour or a situation shocking enough to cause outrage, or, more loosely, something outrageously unreasonable.

How do you pronounce “scandalous”?

“Scandalous” is pronounced SKAN-duh-luhs (/ˈskændələs/ in IPA).

How do you use “scandalous” in a sentence?

Here is “scandalous” used in a sentence: “The company's scandalous treatment of its workers made headlines.”

What part of speech is “scandalous”?

“Scandalous” is an adjective.

Where does the word “scandalous” come from?

The word “scandalous” comes from Latin. From Old French scandaleux, ultimately from the same Latin/Greek root as "scandal.".

Is “scandalous” a common word?

“Scandalous” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “scandalous” have?

“Scandalous” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: shocking or disgraceful enough to cause public outrage.

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial