Meaning & use
scandalous
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Shocking and wrong enough to anger the public or hurt someone's reputation.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: a scandalous waste.
Patterns
- scandalous behavior
- it is scandalous that
It is scandalous that nobody was punished.
The newspaper exposed scandalous spending at the agency.
Her scandalous remarks led to her dismissal.
adjectivecomparableinformalhumorous
Mildly improper or daring, said with amusement.
Grammar: Informal and playful: a scandalous dessert.
That chocolate cake is positively scandalous.
He wore a scandalous orange suit to the funeral party.
The scandalous price of popcorn at the cinema makes me laugh.
adjectivebefore a nounold-fashioned
Spreading harmful gossip about someone, especially in older use.
Grammar: Old-fashioned.
Patterns
- scandalous rumor
The scandalous rumor spread through the village.
She wrote a scandalous account of her neighbors.
A scandalous pamphlet circulated in London.
Word forms
| comparative | more scandalous |
|---|---|
| superlative | most scandalous |
Common combinations
- scandalous behavior
- The mayor's scandalous behavior shocked the town.
- scandalous affair
- The scandalous affair ended his career.
- scandalous waste
- It is a scandalous waste of food.
- absolutely scandalous
- The delay is absolutely scandalous.
- scandalous rumor
- A scandalous rumor spread quickly.
Synonyms and how they differ
- shocking
- Shocking is broader and can mean surprising, while scandalous suggests moral outrage.
- outrageous
- Outrageous stresses extreme unfairness or boldness.
- disgraceful
- Disgraceful blames someone for shameful conduct.
- shameful
- Shameful suggests guilt and embarrassment more than public outrage.
Opposites
Word family
- scandal noun
- a shocking event that damages reputation
- scandalize verb
- to shock people
- scandalously adverb
- in a shocking way
- scandalmonger noun
- someone who spreads scandal
Commonly confused: scandalous or scandalized?
scandalous vs scandalized
Scandalized means shocked by something, while scandalous describes the thing that shocks.
Practice
The paper revealed ___ spending by officials, and the public demanded an inquiry.
Choose one answer.
Scandalous spending would provoke public outrage and calls for an inquiry. The other adjectives imply no wrongdoing.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “scandalous”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.