scandal

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable or uncountable

   A public event or action involving wrongdoing that causes widespread anger, shock, or loss of trust.

   Grammar: Countable for particular events; uncountable in phrases like cause scandal.

   Patterns

   • a major scandal
   • cause scandal
   • a scandal over something

   The bribery scandal led to several resignations.

   The documentary exposed a scandal over unsafe buildings.

2. 2noununcountabledisapproving

   Talk or reports that harm someone's reputation, whether or not the details are true.

   Grammar: Often used with verbs like spread, cause, and avoid; not usually plural in this sense.

   Patterns

   • spread scandal
   • cause scandal
   • avoid scandal

   The rumor caused scandal in the small office.

   She left to avoid scandal after the false report spread.

Word forms

Common combinations

political scandal

The political scandal dominated the evening news.

cause a scandal

Missing funds caused a scandal at the charity.

scandal broke

The scandal broke after reporters found hidden emails.

a scandal over payments

A scandal over payments forced the minister to resign.

Synonyms and how they differ

disgrace

Disgrace emphasizes shame and loss of honor; scandal emphasizes public exposure and outrage.

outrage

Outrage is the angry reaction; scandal is the event that produces it.

controversy

Controversy can be a heated public dispute without proven wrongdoing; scandal usually implies misconduct.

Opposites

Word family

scandalous adjective

Shocking, improper, or likely to cause public anger.

scandalize verb

To shock someone by violating accepted standards.

Commonly confused: scandal or rumor?

Practice

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