SCANDAL Synonyms: 20 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'scandal' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of scandal are crime , offense , sin , and vice . While all these words mean "a transgression of law," scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience. // a career ruined by a sex scandal

Q: When is 'crime' a more appropriate choice than 'scandal'?

The words crime and scandal can be used in similar contexts, but crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state. // the crime of murder

Q: When might 'offense' be a better fit than 'scandal'?

While in some cases nearly identical to scandal , offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code. // at that school no offense went unpunished

Q: In what contexts can 'sin' take the place of 'scandal'?

Although the words sin and scandal have much in common, sin implies an offense against moral or religious law. // the sin of blasphemy

Q: When would 'vice' be a good substitute for 'scandal'?

The synonyms vice and scandal are sometimes interchangeable, but vice applies to a habit or practice that degrades or corrupts. // regarded gambling as a vice

scandal

noun

ˈskan-dᵊl

Definition of scandal

as in disgrace

a cause of shame a scandal that for many years haunted the family of the banker convicted of embezzlement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun scandal contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of scandal are crime, offense, sin, and vice. While all these words mean "a transgression of law," scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience.

a career ruined by a sex scandal

When is crime a more appropriate choice than scandal?

The words crime and scandal can be used in similar contexts, but crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state.

the crime of murder

When might offense be a better fit than scandal?

While in some cases nearly identical to scandal, offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code.

at that school no offense went unpunished

In what contexts can sin take the place of scandal?

Although the words sin and scandal have much in common, sin implies an offense against moral or religious law.

the sin of blasphemy

When would vice be a good substitute for scandal?

The synonyms vice and scandal are sometimes interchangeable, but vice applies to a habit or practice that degrades or corrupts.

regarded gambling as a vice

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of scandal Michigan State coach Pat Fitzgerald faced Northwestern for the first time since he was fired four years ago by his alma mater because of a hazing scandal. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 What happens now Nearly two years after that first $10 million wire, the scandal has left a strange legacy. — Christopher Spata, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026 The Wildcats were facing Fitzgerald, a former Northwestern All-America linebacker and head coach for 17 seasons before he was fired in July 2023 amid a hazing scandal. — Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 17 Oct. 2026 On Thursday, index provider MSCI threatened to revoke Turkey’s status as an emerging market in the wake of the scandal. — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scandal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scandal

Noun

These rosy reveries gradually darken as Wilde remembers succumbing to hedonism, deceit, debt, and disgrace.

— Hannah Aizenman, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
But Scott was mercifully lifted for Evan Phillips, who recorded the final out of the game to save the Dodgers from disgrace.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of disgrace

Noun

The effects crew also rebuilt Rocky’s transparent xenonite barriers digitally to remove reflections, hide operators and maintain the complicated play of light through the set.

— Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 18 Oct. 2026
But then the story stalls, zeroes in on some incidental detail, and collapses into a mode of reflection that is circular and recursive.

— Meghan O’Gieblyn, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of reflection

Browse Nearby Words

scan

scandal

scandalize

See all Nearby Words

Articles Related to scandal

Cite this Entry

Style

“Scandal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scandal. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of scandal

noun

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

7 Words from Political Scandals

'-Gate': Notes on a Scandal

Notes on 'Scandal'

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on scandal

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes