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celebrity scandal

celebrity scandal

1 3.4
A public event where a famous person does something shocking that many people talk about
  • noun
  • /səˈlɛbrɪti ˈskændl/
  • Literature
translation icon : escándalo de celebridades

Examples

  • Mainstream media is focused on celebrity scandals and Turkey fighting with Syria.

    Blog text (20)
  • "After his 'indefinite break' from golf, Woods will surely be back on the links once the next celebrity scandal drowns his out.

    Blog text (14)
  • She barely had a backlash if you think about all the other celebrity scandals.

    Blog text (22)
  • Michael Myers is not a sound bite... a spin-off, a tie-in, some celebrity scandal.

  • He and Masur argue that the tabloids tacitly encourage their sources to lie by offering hundreds of dollars or more for tales of celebrity scandal.

    Academic text (1997)
  • The latest celebrity scandal involving the pop star made headlines across all entertainment news outlets.

  • After the shocking celebrity scandal broke, fans flooded social media with their opinions and reactions.

  • Critics argue that the celebrity scandal overshadowed more significant issues in the community.

Synonyms

scandal
vscelebrity scandal
  • Literature
564 2.8

An action that shocks the public because it is illegal or morally wrong

involves a famous person and attracts sensational media attention
cause célèbre
vscelebrity scandal
5 9.3

An event like a trial that gets a lot of public attention because people strongly disagree about it

centers on a famous person rather than any involved individual

How Scandalous

exposé
  • Literature
26 7.3
celebrity scandal
  • Literature
1 3.4
controversy
465 4.9
allegation
  • Literature
579 4.8
to rumor
  • US
74 3.9

Surface Forms

Morphology

celebrity + scandal

The meaning 'a controversial or sensational event involving a famous person' is directly and transparently derivable from combining 'celebrity' (a widely recognized person) with 'scandal' (an act or revelation causing public outrage). This noun-noun compositional pattern is common in English and other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Celebrity scandal paints a clear picture: a well-known person, celebrity, has a private 'secret' or bad act, a scandal, that is 'made public' and spreads in the news and on social media. That's why the phrase means a controversial event involving a famous person that gets wide attention.