Meaning & use
scruple
A feeling of doubt or hesitation about doing something because it may be morally wrong.
See it in a sentence
He had no scruples about lying to close the deal.
Her moral scruples wouldn't allow her to accept money she hadn't earned.
A note on using this word
Scruple is most often used in the plural and in negative constructions, as in 'without scruples' or 'no scruples about'.
Words with a similar meaning
qualmmisgiving
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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