scandalous
SKAN-duh-luhs
/ˈskændələs/
Causing general public outrage by a perceived offense against morality or law.
Scandalous implies that the behavior is shocking, sensational, and violates accepted social or moral standards, often attracting media attention.
The story behind the word. Scandalous traces back to the Greek word 'skandalon', which originally referred to the trigger of a trap or a stumbling block. In the New Testament, it was used metaphorically for anything that led someone into sin or caused offense.
Word relationships
- outrageous: Outrageous emphasizes the extreme and unacceptable nature of the act, while scandalous emphasizes the public gossip and shock surrounding it.
- respectable: Respectable means conforming to socially acceptable standards of behavior and morality.
Commonly confused with
- shocking: Shocking can refer to any sudden or surprising event (like a shocking accident), while scandalous must involve a moral or legal transgression.
Word family
- scandal (noun): An action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage.
- scandalize (verb): To shock or offend someone by doing something considered immoral or improper.
Collocations
- scandalous behavior
- scandalous revelations
- scandalous affair
- scandalous rumors
Example sentences
- "The scandalous revelations about the mayor's finances led to immediate calls for his resignation." A news report on political corruption
- "The tabloid published a scandalous story about the celebrity's private life." A discussion of high society gossip
Memory hook
Think of a 'scandal' as a 'stumbling block' that trips up a famous person, causing them to fall in the eyes of the public. Tripped up by bad behavior.
When not to use
Do not use scandalous to describe minor mistakes; it must involve a significant breach of ethics, law, or social norms that shocks the public.
Fun facts
- The word 'slander' actually shares the same Greek root 'skandalon' as 'scandal', having evolved through Old French 'esclandre'.
Related words
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