scoundrelly

9.1

Dishonest and cruel in ways that hurt others

adjective
/ˈskaʊndrəli/

Offensive

: sinvergüenza

This is the last week of activity, and my fifth-to-last post on the notorious, the infamous, the scoundrelly blog known as livin' like a freebird.

Examples

It's scoundrelly but professorial.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
So here was this virtuous husband behaving in a splendidly scoundrelly fashion, and no one even noticed.

Fiction book (1999)
His scoundrelly actions led to the betrayal of his closest friends.
She made a scoundrelly choice, putting her own interests before those of others.
The politician's scoundrelly behavior shocked the public when details of his lies emerged.

Synonyms

dishonest

vsscoundrelly

128 2.5

Likely to lie or cheat to get something for yourself

refers more broadly to a general lack of principles or scruples

sleazy

vsscoundrelly

Offensive

65 6.5

Dishonest and having a dirty, unpleasant appearance or atmosphere

describes personal lack of principles rather than primarily an ugly atmosphere

unscrupulous

vsscoundrelly

25 7.5

A person or company that is not honest and tries to take advantage of others

is used for a person who lacks principles and personal scruples

scummy

vsscoundrelly

Offensive

6 8.0

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

is about lacking principles but is less focused on provoking disgust

scuzzy

vsscoundrelly

Offensive

4 8.6

Dirty and unpleasant, like a place with sticky floors

focuses on inner lack of principles rather than only surface dirtiness

rascally

vsscoundrelly

Informal

1 7.0

Dishonest and likely to trick people for money or advantage

is more serious and less playful in showing lack of principles

scrofulous

vsscoundrelly

Offensive

1 9.9

Having a bad and dishonest character

is the everyday descriptor for lacking principles rather than a literary term

blackguardly

vsscoundrelly

Offensive

9.9

Being cruel and dishonest in a way that hurts other people

describes a stable lack of principles rather than isolated dishonourable acts

Antonyms

ethical

280 4.1

Following rules about what is right and wrong in people's actions

principled

39 3.8

A person or group that shows strong ideas about right and wrong and acts on them

virtuous

35 4.3

Being morally good and doing what is right

How Dishonest

villainous

14 7.3

scoundrelly

Offensive

9.1

dishonest

128 2.5

untrustworthy

21 4.8

honest

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

scoundrelly positive

Morphology

scoundrelly = scoundrel (transparent) = scoundrel + ly

Formed regularly from the noun 'scoundrel' with the adjectival '-ly' meaning 'having the qualities of a scoundrel', which is straightforward for learners familiar with noun+ -ly adjectives.

Etymology

Scoundrelly comes from the noun scoundrel, which means 'a dishonest or wicked person'. Adding the ending -ly makes it 'like a scoundrel', so scoundrelly describes behavior that is low, unfair, or without principles.