scandal — an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈskændl/
Example Sentences
- The celebrity's dating scandal dominated social media for weeks.
- My mom treats eating ice cream for breakfast like it's a major scandal.
- The company tried to cover up the environmental scandal.
scandal
NOUN[/ˈskændl/]
an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage
The political scandal shocked the entire country.
The company scandal damaged public trust almost overnight. (SECRET + EXPLOSION = SCANDAL)
The scandal became impossible to handle as everything slowly unraveled.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Scandal derives from Greek skandalon, originally meaning 'trap' or 'snare'. The word evolved metaphorically to denote an obstacle that causes someone to stumble, eventually acquiring its modern sense of a disgraceful event that damages reputation.
Breakdown
skandalon (trap, snare) → scandal (disreputable event). The semantic shift reflects a metaphorical extension from physical entrapment to moral or social ruin.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The celebrity's dating scandal dominated social media for weeks.”
“My mom treats eating ice cream for breakfast like it's a major scandal.”
“The company tried to cover up the environmental scandal.”
“It was a scandal when our class president was caught cheating on the math test.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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