scandal

[skan-dl] / ˈskæn dl /

NOUN

public embarrassment

Synonyms

STRONGEST

crime rumor wrongdoing

STRONG

aspersion calumny defamation depreciation detraction discredit disgrace dishonor disparagement disrepute dynamite gossip hearsay ignominy infamy mud obloquy opprobrium reproach scorcher shame sin slander tale talk turpitude

WEAK

backbiting backstabbing belittlement dirty linen eavesdropping idle rumor skeleton in closet

Antonyms

STRONGEST

good deed

STRONG

approval commendation compliment esteem exaltation flattery goodness honor morality praise respect

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I think initially the disinformation beat was really tech-focused, and that overstated the influence of a scandal like Cambridge Analytica.

From Slate • May 7, 2026

As for Project Independence, it didn’t last much longer than Nixon, who resigned over the Watergate scandal nine months later.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

The scandal is especially egregious because widows and widowers are disproportionately among the poorest elders.

From MarketWatch • May 1, 2026

Feldstein Soto ran on a promise to crack down on no-bid contracts — a stance prompted in part by the corruption scandal that ensnared the office of her predecessor, former City Atty.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

“I don’t want a scandal any more than you do.”

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Vocabulary lists containing scandal

"Laws are not the only way to boost immunization”: an editorial from Nature

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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for September 11–September 17, 2021

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Simply Scandalous!

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