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scandal

/ˈskændəl/  ·  say it: SKAN·dul

an event that causes public outrage

In From the Front Page

In more detail

1. (noun) a situation in which someone's immoral or dishonest behavior becomes publicly known and causes shock and disapproval

2. (noun) gossip or malicious talk about someone's private life

Examples

• The political scandal damaged the minister's reputation.
• The scandal about the actor's past relationships spread quickly through the media.

How to use scandal

Scandal denotes both the shameful act itself and the public furor that follows its exposure. It typically involves behavior that violates social or moral norms and provokes strong disapproval. Unlike mere gossip, scandal carries the weight of public knowledge and reputational damage.

Common phrases

• major scandal
• scandal involving
• scandal breaks
• sex scandal
• political scandal

Synonyms

disgrace · outrage · shame · controversy · uproar

Word family

scandalous · scandalize · scandalized · scandalously

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse scandal (the situation and its public exposure) with the individual's wrongdoing itself; scandal requires that the misconduct becomes widely known to others.

Nearby in From the Front Page

turmoil, bombshell, gaffe, probe, allegation, indict

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained