scruple

Unencumbered by deep convictions and free from the constraints imposed by conventional morality or codes of honor, he can alter his tactics to the exigencies of the moment without hesitation or scruple.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

They were both these outsiders from the boroughs with tremendous life force and ambition with a shared, I think, lack of scruple or ethical core, for whom winning was the only moral measure.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 10, 2024

In the chaotic tangle of dust, horseflesh and steel, finding an unexpected advantage was not difficult for those unyoked from scruple.

From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2024

The pontiff lamented the “poverty into which they are often forced, victims of injustice and the inequality of a throwaway society that hurries past without seeing them and without scruple abandons them to their fate.”

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 14, 2021

And he surely would not scruple, even on that day, to be angry at the Lord.

From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin

Employees in these movies come to the conclusion their boss lacks scruples, boundaries or the qualifications to have the job.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 29, 2025

Theo has misgivings, but his passion for Wynona overrides his scruples.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 7, 2025

Some may have otherwise been stolen by Western visitors with less scruples to be sold on the lucrative European and American artefacts market.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2024

Executives at established tech giants might have their own honest scruples about where all of this is heading.

From Slate ● Nov. 27, 2023

“Why, indeed; he does seem to have had some filial scruples on that head, as you will hear.”

From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

Though Antonin fashions himself as a tormented literary protagonist — a scrupled thief and a thwarted artist — he emerges as little more than a posturing, self-pitying millennial unwilling to take charge of his life.

From New York Times ● Jun. 2, 2023

The extravagance and general profligacy which he scrupled not to lay at Mr. Wickham’s charge, exceedingly shocked her; the more so, as she could bring no proof of its injustice.

From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

He scrupled not to appropriate those happier effusions which were not only worthy of his own genius, but are 538 not distinguishable from it.

From Amenities of Literature Consisting of Sketches and Characters of English Literature by Isaac Disraeli

That wretched book-binder had not scrupled to substitute a new and valueless score for my beloved copy, and had doubtless sold the original, with Gounod's autograph and annotations, to some collector for a pretty sum.

From Memoirs of an American Prima Donna by Clara Louise Kellogg

As the early visitor was of the same opinion, she scrupled not to find her way to the well-known door, and without even the ceremony of a tap, presented herself to her friend.

From The Widow Barnaby Vol. III (of 3) by Frances Eleanor Trollope

If you can by any means prevail on your Master to release me, I beseech you so to do, not scrupling any thing for Righteousness sake.

From An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews by Conny Keyber

She now looked at him as if he were an object, scrupling not to meet his eye with her strange, unwavering gaze.

From A Face Illumined by Edward Payson Roe

Her conscientious scrupling: "But mother may be cross!" had passed unheeded.

From Australia Felix by Henry Handel Richardson

I will not reason here—nor will I stop for YOU to expatiate on the absurdity, and the worse than absurdity, of scrupling to engage my faith where my honour was already bound.

From Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

With this girl she shared the domestic duties, scrupling not to divide with her the meanest and most rugged, as well as the lightest offices.

From Ormond, Volume I (of 3) or, The Secret Witness by Charles Brockden Brown