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unscrupulousness

unscrupulousness

8.8
A habit of ignoring right and wrong and being dishonest to get what you want
  • noun
  • /ʌnˈskruːpjələsnəs/
translation icon : falta de escrúpulos
  • There was something vigorous, vivacious, and preposterous about his unscrupulousness, which made his persistent lying somehow absorbing.

Examples

  • The upper stratum sees him, but thinks it can serve its own selfish purposes with him, and thus shoots us in the back more from unscrupulousness than stupidity.

  • The railroads were huge ventures, each employing up to 40,000 workers and each with its own history of speed, efficiency, and unscrupulousness.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • However, words like prevarication, underhanded, unscrupulousness, devious, chicanery do spring to the top of my mind.

    Blog text (12)
  • The hole-and-corner way in which their businesses are conducted gives one a feeling of distrust, and they bear a name for utter unscrupulousness if they find themselves in a bad way.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Moreover, their rage grew immensely when the Qur'an revealed the deepest inclinations of their soul, their heartlessness, and unscrupulousness by which their ancestors had been commonly known.

    Academic text (2015)
  • They are, and have always been, the central comic relief of the whole play, and their ridiculous unscrupulousness always makes them audience favorites—they always get the biggest cheers and whistles at the end of a performance.

    Blog text (13)
  • The unscrupulousness of the company's executives shocked the public, as they prioritized profit over ethics.

  • Her unscrupulousness in business dealings led to numerous lawsuits from clients who felt cheated.

  • He was known for his unscrupulousness, often bending the rules to gain an unfair advantage in competitions.

Synonyms

dishonesty
vsunscrupulousness
46 3.2

Actions like lying, cheating, or stealing

is broader, highlighting a shameless lack of moral principles behind such acts
corruption
vsunscrupulousness
36 4.6

A situation where people lose moral principles and act badly

is the same moral failing but stresses shameless dishonest behavior
disingenuousness
vsunscrupulousness
3 8.8

A way of hiding the truth by pretending to be less involved

is the broader shameless moral absence rather than mere pretense
venality
vsunscrupulousness
  • Formal
3 9.9

To accept bribes and use power for personal gain

is the broader shameless lack of morals beyond this specific bribery focus
deceitfulness
vsunscrupulousness
2 6.5

Trying to make other people believe something that is not true

is wider, meaning a general moral absence rather than just tricking
deviousness
vsunscrupulousness
2 7.0

Secret actions that are dishonest or unfair to get what you want

is the general moral absence that includes but exceeds mere deception
knavery
vsunscrupulousness
  • Archaic
2 9.9

Dishonest actions such as lying, cheating, or stealing

is the wider trait of lacking moral principles behind such acts
fraudulence
vsunscrupulousness
1 8.7

Dishonest behaviour that aims to get money or other unfair personal gain

is broader, indicating shameless lack of morals beyond financial deceit
shadiness
vsunscrupulousness
1 6.9

Dishonest or secret behavior that seems against the law

is the general shameless moral failing that may or may not be illegal
sleaziness
vsunscrupulousness
  • Literature
1 8.1

Being dishonest and unfair in a way that harms others

is a more general lack of morals often expressed shamelessly
corruptness
vsunscrupulousness
1 6.2

A habit of being dishonest and breaking rules to get money or power

is the open, shameless absence of moral principles and honesty
deceptiveness
vsunscrupulousness
1 7.2

A quality that makes something seem true when it is false

is broader, covering any shameless lack of morals not only indirect means
double-dealing
vsunscrupulousness
1 7.1

Dishonest behavior of pretending one thing but doing another

is the more general moral failing that can include such double behavior
crooked dealing
vsunscrupulousness
1 6.3

Dishonest behavior in business or money matters

is more general, applying to moral absence in any area
crookedness
vsunscrupulousness
1 6.9

Dishonest behavior by a person or group

is broader, denoting a shameless absence of moral principles overall
unconscionableness
vsunscrupulousness
9.9

A very unfair way of acting that shows no care for what is right

is a broad shameless lack of moral principles and honesty
crookery
vsunscrupulousness
9.5

Actions that cheat people to get their money

is a general moral failing that can include criminal dishonest acts
obliquity
vsunscrupulousness
  • Formal
9.9

Behavior that hides the truth to mislead people

is the general shameless lack of morals behind such misleading acts

Antonyms

Careful attention to doing what is right and to small details

How Unprincipled

corruption
355 4.8
unscrupulousness
8.8
dishonesty
46 3.2

Surface Forms

Morphology

unscrupulousness = unscrupulous (transparent) = un + scrupulous + ness

Formed by adding the noun-forming suffix '-ness' to the recognisable adjective 'unscrupulous', yielding the state or quality of being unscrupulous.

Etymology

Unscrupulousness comes from un- meaning 'not' and scruple, a word for a hesitation about what is 'right and wrong' that originally meant a 'small sharp stone' that makes you stop. So unscrupulousness is the quality of having no hesitation about right and wrong, acting without shame.