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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.

Some unscrupulous businesses are seeing it as an opportunity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

When the Justice Department and the IRS go after unscrupulous preparers, they often obtain plea deals in exchange for the preparer’s cooperation.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 27, 2026

“There are some unscrupulous actors out there who present plans that seem to be ACA-compliant but are not,” she says.

From Barron's • Jan. 15, 2026

His distrust is based on previous encounters with unscrupulous visitors.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2025

He was bold, innovative, blessed with an instinct for promotion, slick, unscrupulous, and completely magnetic.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.