SCANDALOUS

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does scandalous mean? 

• SCANDALOUS (adjective)
  The adjective SCANDALOUS has 1 sense:

1. giving offense to moral sensibilities and injurious to reputation

  Familiarity information: SCANDALOUS used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SCANDALOUS (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Giving offense to moral sensibilities and injurious to reputation

Synonyms:

disgraceful; scandalous; shameful; shocking

Context example:

the most shocking book of its time

Similar:

immoral (deliberately violating accepted principles of right and wrong)

Derivation:

scandal (a disgraceful event)

scandalousness (disgracefulness that offends public morality)

 Context examples 

"It's something scandalous the way they work us poor devils," Joe was remarking.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

His behaviour to myself has been scandalous; but I verily believe I could forgive him anything and everything, rather than his disappointing the hopes and disgracing the memory of his father.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

It was a burning shame and a scandalous disgrace to act in that way.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

As no scandalous, ill-natured rumour had reached her, it was impossible for her to understand much of this strange letter.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

If I would not go for the sake of your father, I should think it scandalous to go for the sake of his heir.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

“And whose appearance,” interposed his sister, directing general attention to me in my indefinable costume, “is perfectly scandalous and disgraceful.”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

And Laurie folded his hands together with such and imploring gesture, as he spoke in his irresistibly persuasive tone, that it was impossible to frown upon him in spite of his scandalous behavior.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

In relating these and the following laws, I would only be understood to mean the original institutions, and not the most scandalous corruptions, into which these people are fallen by the degenerate nature of man.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

The confusion there is scandalous.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Item, that after sundry japes and jokes the said brother John did lift up the said Mary Sowley and did take, carry, and convey her across a stream, to the infinite relish of the devil and the exceeding detriment of his own soul, which scandalous and wilful falling away was witnessed by three members of our order.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)