Dictionary

scandalous en · ADJ

Pronunciation

(US) audio
/ˈskændələs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
/ˈskændl̩əs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
/ˈskændləs/ (General-American)
/ˈskændələs/ (General-American)
(Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Late Middle English scandalouse (“disgraceful, shameful”), borrowed from Old French scandaleux (“scandalous”) (modern French scandaleux), from Medieval Latin scandalōsus, from Ecclesiastical Latin scandalum (“scandal”) + Latin -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of; prone to’ forming adjectives). Scandalum is derived from Ancient Greek σκᾰ́νδᾰλον (skắndălon, “offence, scandal; snare, trap”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Pre-Greek or Proto-Indo-European *skend- (“to jump”) (referring to a device for climbing or jumping on, such as might be used by someone setting a trap). By surface analysis, scandal + -ous (suffix forming adjectives from nouns, denoting presence of a quality in any degree (typically an abundance), or a relation to the nouns).

Meanings

Of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal; regarded as so immoral or wrong as to be extremely disgraceful; despicable, shameful.
- [S]omthing ſauors / Of Tyrannie, and vvill ignoble make you, / Yea, ſcandalous to the VVorld. c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii], page 285, column 1:
- The thing made a big stir in the town, too, and a good many come out flat-footed and said it was scandalous to separate the mother and the children that way. 1884 December 10, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter XXVII, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: (Tom Sawyer’s Comrade) […], London: Chatto & Windus, […], →OCLC, page 276:
- Maſters commands come vvith a povver reſiſtleſs / To ſuch as ovve them abſolute ſubjection; / And for a life vvho vvill not change his purpoſe? / (So mutable are all the vvays of men) / Yet this be ſure, in nothing to comply / Scandalous or forbidden in our Lavv. 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 83, lines 415–420:
- "I have heard something of such a matter," said the Glover, "and was this instant setting forth to Kinfauns, to plead my innocence of this scandalous charge, to ask your lordship's counsel, and to implore your protection." 1828 May 15, [Walter Scott], chapter II, in Chronicles of the Canongate. Second Series. […] (The Fair Maid of Perth), volume III, Edinburgh: […] [Ballantyne and Co.] for Cadell and Co.; London: Simpkin and Marshall, →OCLC, page 41:
- As the vvhole buſineſs, in vvhich the Courts uſually take an intereſt, goes on at preſent equally vvell, in vvhatever hands, vvhether high or lovv, vviſe or fooliſh, ſcandalous or reputable; there is nothing to hold it firm to any one body of men, or to any one conſiſtent scheme of politicks. 1770 April 23, [Edmund Burke], Thoughts on the Cause of the Present Discontents, London: […] J[ames] Dodsley, […], →OCLC, page 53:
- The treasurer soon found that, in using scandalous means for the purpose of attaining a laudable end, he had committed, not only a crime, but a folly. The queen was now his enemy. 1849, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter VI, in The History of England from the Accession of James II, volume II, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC, page 74:
Of a person: delighted by scandal.
- You are the stateliest deer in all the herd— / Beyond his aim—but I am small and scandalous, / And love to hear bad tales of Philip. 1875, Alfred Tennyson, Queen Mary: A Drama, London: Henry S. King & Co., →OCLC, Act V, scene ii, pages 250–251:
Of speech or writing: defamatory, malicious.
- Know you not / That, in distraining for ten thousand pounds / Upon his books and furniture at Lincoln, / Were found these scandalous and seditious letters / Sent from one Osbaldistone, who is fled? a. 1823 (date written), Percy Bysshe Shelley, “Charles the First. A Fragment.”, in William Michael Rossetti, editor, The Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley: […], revised edition, volume II, London: E[dward] Moxon, Son, & Co., […], published 1870, →OCLC, Act I, scene iii, page 392:
- Theſe be the ſcandalous reportes of ſuch, / As loues not mee, and hate my Lord too much. c. 1587 (date written), [Thomas Kyd], The Spanish Tragedie: […] (Fourth Quarto), London: […] W[illiam] W[hite] for T[homas] Pauier, […], published 1602, →OCLC, Act III, signature K, recto:
- [I]t is novv held that for ſcandalous vvords of the ſeveral ſpecies before-mentioned, that may endanger a man in lavv, may exclude him from ſociety, may impair his trade, or may affect a peer of the realm, a magiſtrate, or one in public truſt, an action on the caſe may be had, vvithout proving any particular damage to have happened, but merely upon the probability that it might happen. 1768, William Blackstone, “Of Wrongs, and Their Remedies, Respecting the Rights of Persons”, in Commentaries on the Laws of England, book III (Of Private Wrongs), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 124:
- Nay, the moſt ſcandalous Tongues have never dared cenſure my Reputation. 1749, Henry Fielding, “In which Mrs. Fitzpatrick Concludes Her History”, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume IV, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book XI, page 155:
- […] I assure you I never had any suspicions of you at all. I always disregard gossip—it is generally scandalous, and seldom true. 1887, Marie Corelli, chapter XIV, in Thelma. A Society Novel. […], volume I, London: Richard Bentley and Son, […], →OCLC, book I (The Land of the Midnight Sun), page 311:
- The closest Believe gets to scandalous is on the deluxe-edition bonus track “Maria,” a response song to the woman who accused [Justin] Bieber of fathering her child in 2011. 2012 June 26, Genevieve Koski, “Music: Reviews: Justin Bieber: Believe”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 06 Aug 2020:
- Shall vve thus permit / A blaſting and ſcandalous breath to fall, / On him ſo neere vs? c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 80, column 2:
- He has a Humour more prevailing than his Curioſity, and vvill vvillingly diſpence vvith the hearing of one ſcandalous Story, to avoid giving an occaſion to make another by being ſeen to vvalk vvith his VVife. 1700, [William] Congreve, The Way of the World, a Comedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act II, scene i, pages 19–20:
(figuratively) Exceeding reasonable limits; outrageous.
- There was a blizzard on. The cold was something frightful. Made one quite thankful to get back to the fug, though as a rule I think the way these trains are overheated is something scandalous. 1934, Agatha Christie, “The Evidence of Colonel Arbuthnot”, in Murder on the Orient Express (Great Reads Collection; Agatha Christie Collection), London: Planet Three Publishing Network, published [2006], →ISSN, →OCLC, part II (The Evidence), page 97:
- Day after day passed away without bringing any other tidings of him than the report which shortly prevailed in Meryton of his coming no more to Netherfield the whole winter; a report which highly incensed Mrs. Bennet, and which she never failed to contradict as a most scandalous falsehood. 1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], chapter XXIII, in Pride and Prejudice: […], volume I, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 302:
(archaic, obsolete) Of a person: guilty of extremely disgraceful conduct or some misconduct; infamous; also, unfit for their office or position due to misconduct, etc.
- [T]hey [Parliament] ſeemed inclinable to abate the renunciation of the Covenant, the aſſent and conſent to the diſpenſing vvith Ceremonyes, the reforming the Biſhops Courts, the taking avvay of Pluralityes, the rectifying of Excommunications, the puniſhing of ſcandalous Clergymen, and ſeverall things of this nature, […] 1668 March 26 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Andrew Marvell, “[Andrew Marvell’s Letters to the Corporation of Hull.] Letter LXV. Mr. Anthony Lambert, Mayor.”, in The Works of Andrew Marvell, Esq.: Poetical, Controversial, and Political, […], volume I, London: […] Henry Baldwin, and sold by [James] Dodsley, […], published 1776, →OCLC, page 98:
- [T]he Houſe of Peers had aſſign'd him ſuch Council as he deſired, to aſſiſt him in matter of Lavv (vvhich never vvas, or can juſtly be denied to the moſt ſcandalous Felon, the moſt inhuman Murtherer, or the moſt infamous Traitor) […] 1702, Edward [Hyde, 1st] Earl of Clarendon, book III, in The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England, Begun in the Year 1641. […], volume I, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed at the [Sheldonian] Theater, page 224:
- [H]e vvas enabled [financially] to become charitable to the poor, and kind to his friends, and to make ſuch proviſion for his children, that they vvere not left ſcandalous, as relating to their or his Profeſſion and Quality. 1670, Izaak Walton, “The Life of Dr. John Donne, Late Dean of St. Paul’s Church, London”, in The Lives of Dr. John Donne, Sir Henry Wotton, Mr. Richard Hooker, Mr. George Herbert. […], volume I, London: […] Tho[mas] Newcomb for Richard Marriott, […], →OCLC, page 47:
Of information, a statement, etc.: not pertinent to a matter; irrelevant, and bringing the court into disrepute.
- A party who makes an affidavit to oppose a motion is only authorized to state the facts; and it is scandalous and impertinent to draw inferences or state arguments in the affidavit, reflecting on the character or impeaching the motives of the adverse party or his solicitor. Ibid. [Powell v. Kane, 5 Paige, 265.] 1837, O[liver] L[orenzo] Barbour, E[benezer] B[urke] Harrington, “Practice. XXIII. Evidence.”, in An Analytical Digest of the Equity Cases Decided in the Courts of the Several States, and of the United States, from the Earliest Period; and of the Decisions in Equity, in the Courts of Chancery and Exchequer in England and Ireland, and the Privy Council and House of Lords, from Hilary Term, 1822: […], volume III, Springfield, Mass.: G[eorge] and C[harles] Merriam, →OCLC, paragraph 10, page 382:
- Scandal may be taken advantage of at any time, impertinence not; if reported ſcandalous, it muſt be impertinent of courſe; but it may be impertinent vvithout being ſcandalous. […] [N]othing pertinent to the cauſe can be ſaid to be ſcandalous. 1750 October 17 (date delivered), Philip Yorke, 1st Earl of Hardwicke, Lord Chancellor, “Fenhoulet versus Passavant”, in Francis Vezey, editor, Cases Argued and Determined, in the High Court of Chancery, in the Time of Lord Chancellor Hardwicke, from the Year 1746–7, to 1755. […], volume II, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan and M. Woodfall, law-printers to his Majesty; for T[homas] Cadell, […], published 1771, →OCLC, case 9, page 24:
(obsolete) Causing offence or trouble.
- [M]any Lavvs, in the change of ignorant and obſcure Ages, may be found both ſcandalous, and full of greevance to their Poſterity that made them, […] 1649, J[ohn] Milton, “Intitl’d to the Prince of Wales”, in ΕΙΚΟΝΟΚΛΆΣΤΗΣ [Eikonoklástēs] […], London: […] Matthew Simmons, […], →OCLC, page 216:
(obsolete, qualifier:uncertain) Of a disease or symptom: putrid, rotting.
- Theſe are the Ulcers vvhich render fiſtulæ ani [anal fistulas] ſcandalous. If the matter paſſeth in perineo, for the moſt part it perforates the Urethra, ſometime like a Flute, and the Urine cometh thereout, othertimes it corrupteth vvithin, and diſchargeth the putrefaction into the pelvis. 1676, Richard Wiseman, “The First Book. A Treatise of Tumours. Chapter VI. Of the Ill Consequences of a Gonorrhœa Cured.”, in Severall Chirurgicall Treatises, London: […] E. Flesher and J. Macock, for R[ichard] Royston […], and B[enjamin] Took, […], →OCLC, page 66:

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
most scandalous	Degree=Sup		lexicographic
more scandalous	Degree=Cmp		lexicographic

Translations (33)

ro scandalos (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · fr scandaleux (of speech or writing: defamatory, malicious (cognates) — see also defamatory, malicious) · pl skandaliczny (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · de skandalös (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · it scandaloso (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · pt escandaloso (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · fi pöyristyttävä (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · da skandaløs (of speech or writing: defamatory, malicious (cognates) — see also defamatory, malicious) · fi skandaalinkäryinen (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · nl scandaleus (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · ca escandalós (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · fi virkaan sopimaton (of a person: unfit for their office or position due to misconduct, etc.) · cs skandální (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · es escandaloso (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · bg позорен (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · de skandalös (of speech or writing: defamatory, malicious (cognates) — see also defamatory, malicious) · fi sensaatiohakuinen (of a person: delighted by scandal) · pl awanturniczy (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · da skandaløs (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · la propudianus (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · bg скандален (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · es cuatiquero (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · pdt schentlich (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · la scandalōsus (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · la propudiosus (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · fr scandaleux (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · sv skandalös (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · ru сканда́льный (of speech or writing: defamatory, malicious (cognates) — see also defamatory, malicious) · ru сканда́льный (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · nl schandalig (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · eo skandala (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · la flāgitiōsus (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful) · uk сканда́льний (of a thing: causing or having the nature of a scandal — see also despicable, disgraceful, shameful)

scandalous en · ADJ

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Translations (33)