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Glite Dictionary
🦹 Morally corrupt 🤒 With tuberculosis 😷 Unhealthy looking
scrofulous

scrofulous

1 9.9
Having a bad and dishonest character
  • adjective
  • /ˈskroʊfjələs/
  • Offensive
: depravado
  • In the dark alley, she encountered a scrofulous figure whose intentions were clearly nefarious.

Examples

  • The politician's scrofulous actions led to public outrage and demands for his resignation.

  • The French ceremony differed from the English in that its liturgy was Catholic, the scrofulous received alms rather than a special coin, and the king made his way around the crowd, whereas in England the sufferers were presented one at a time to the monarch.

    Academic text (2011)

  • The novel portrays a scrofulous character who exploits others for his gain.

Synonyms

despicable
vsscrofulous
  • Offensive
87 5.7

Very bad in a way that makes people feel strong dislike and disgust

means moral badness too but with a more literary or archaic feel
sleazy
vsscrofulous
  • Offensive
68 6.5

Dishonest and having a dirty, unpleasant appearance or atmosphere

is alike but leans more toward literary moral corruption than atmosphere
depraved
vsscrofulous
  • Formal
44 7.8

Very bad and cruel in the way someone behaves

is similar but used mainly in literary style rather than direct wickedness
dishonorable
vsscrofulous
  • US
19 6.0

Not honest or fair and causing shame

covers dishonesty too but with a stronger sense of moral taint
putrid
vsscrofulous
  • Offensive
10 8.3

Having very bad character and doing dishonest things

is like this but carries an older, literary tone
scummy
vsscrofulous
  • Offensive
7 8.0

Very dishonest or cruel in a way that makes people feel disgusted

is similar but uses a more formal or literary register
unworthy
vsscrofulous
  • Offensive
7 5.4

Deserves strong blame or dislike

is similar but suggests a degraded character rather than mere blame
rotten to the core
vsscrofulous
  • Offensive
5 8.1

Completely dishonest and morally bad in every part

expresses core corruption too but in a more literary way
scuzzy
vsscrofulous
  • Offensive
4 8.6

Dirty and unpleasant, like a place with sticky floors

refers to moral taint too but with more elevated, literary wording
discreditable
vsscrofulous
1 7.6

Likely to harm someone's reputation by showing shameful behaviour

implies moral corruption more deeply than just reputational harm
scoundrelly
vsscrofulous
  • Offensive
1 9.1

Dishonest and cruel in ways that hurt others

expresses general moral degradation rather than specific rogue conduct

Antonyms

pure
216 1.4

Morally good and not involved in sexual activity

virtuous
23 4.3

Being morally good and doing what is right

Compounds

scrofulous condition
  • Archaic
9.5

Swollen lumps in the neck caused by an infection, often tuberculosis

How Corrupt

depraved
  • Formal
44 7.8
scrofulous
  • Offensive
1 9.9
corrupt
298 4.4
tainted
88 4.5
questionable
162 3.9

Surface Forms

scrofulous positive

Morphology

scrofulous = scrofula (opaque) = scrofula + ous

The form is built from 'scrofula' + '-ous', but the moral sense depends on a figurative extension from disease to character rather than a directly predictable word-formation rule.

Etymology

Writers later used scrofulous in a moral way to call people or actions 'diseased' or 'tainted', which is why scrofulous can mean 'morally corrupt'.