Definitions

unscrupulous

[uhn-skroo-pyuh-luhs] / ʌnˈskru pyə ləs /

ADJECTIVE

immoral

Synonyms

STRONGEST

corrupt crafty crooked deceitful dishonest illegal petty ruthless selfish shady shameless underhanded unethical venal

WEAK

arrant base casuistic conscienceless degraded degrading disgraceful dishonorable down and dirty exploitative improper low-down mercenary perfidious questionable recreant scandalous scheming self-seeking shifty sinister slippery sly two-faced unconscientious unconscionable underhand unfair unprincipled unworthy wicked wrongful

Antonyms

STRONGEST

aboveboard decent ethical fair frank good honest honorable kind lawful moral open principled right trustworthy truthful upright

WEAK

scrupulous

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.

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute said that while the mis-selling or misdescription of fish was not a widespread issue it acknowledged "there are still some unscrupulous businesses".

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

“Anytime there’s uncertainty, unscrupulous people take advantage of that,” O’Saben said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

Dentists’ reputations for being maverick investors have made them targets for unscrupulous actors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

In fact, it was quickly abused by hundreds of unscrupulous operators who found they could set up ghost dealerships and then, for a fee, fiddle with the registry.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

But the thought of Courtney figuring out how I really feel before I’m ready for him to know is scary enough to make me do all manner of unscrupulous, people-not-pleasing things to maintain my cover.

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone

Vocabulary lists containing unscrupulous

The Catcher in the Rye

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Power Prefix: un-

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Grade 10, List 6

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