scandalous
gb/skˈændələs/ us/skˈændələs/
C1
English
~ 9400
botrányos, felháborító
C1
1
botrányos
B2
Usage pattern:
[something] is scandalous; scandalous [behavior/event/relationship]
The minister resigned after reports of his scandalous affair with a staff member.
A miniszter lemondott, miután hírek jelentek meg a botrányos viszonyáról egy munkatársával.
Many people felt the celebrity’s scandalous behavior set a terrible example for young fans.
Sokan úgy érezték, hogy a híresség botrányos viselkedése nagyon rossz példát mutatott a fiatal rajongóknak.
The magazine published a series of scandalous allegations about the company’s executives.
Her parents were horrified by the scandalous relationship and refused to speak to her boyfriend.
The judge called the lawyer’s attempts to hide evidence absolutely scandalous.
Learner examples
The politician lost his job because of his scandalous affair.
A politikus elvesztette az állását a botrányos viszonya miatt.
The singer’s scandalous behavior was on the front page of every newspaper.
Az énekes botrányos viselkedése minden újság címlapjára került.
People were shocked by the actor’s scandalous relationship with a much younger fan.
The TV show talked about the company’s scandalous actions.
Many fans stopped supporting him after the scandalous story came out.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *scandalous* for anything surprising, including positive surprises (e.g., a 'scandalous gift'). In modern English, *scandalous* is strongly negative and usually connected to moral or social shame. Learners may also confuse *scandalous* (adjective) with *scandalized* (feeling shocked) and *scandal* (the noun).
Meaning
morally shocking and disgraceful
Collocations
scandalous behavior
|scandalous conduct
|scandalous affair
|scandalous allegations
|scandalous relationship
|scandalous headlines
Synonyms
disgraceful (Focuses on bringing shame or loss of respect, slightly more common in everyday speech.)
|
shocking (Broader and less tied to moral ideas; can be used for anything surprising, not only moral issues.)
|
outrageous (Stresses that something makes people very angry or upset; a bit more emotional and informal.)
Antonyms
respectable (Suggests behavior that society sees as proper and morally acceptable.)
|
decent (Implies behavior that follows basic moral and social rules, without causing shame.)
Themes
society
|ethics
|media
|core_vocabulary
|law
Definition
Very wrong or shameful in a moral way, so that many people feel shocked or angry about it.
Morally shocking, disgraceful, or shameful in a way that is likely to cause public anger or talk.
C1
2
felháborító
B2
botrányos
B2
Usage pattern:
scandalous [prices/situation/conditions]; [something] is scandalous
Residents complained about the scandalous state of the public housing blocks.
A lakók panaszkodtak az önkormányzati lakótömbök botrányos állapota miatt.
The charity called the government’s slow response to the crisis absolutely scandalous.
A segélyszervezet teljesen felháborítónak nevezte, hogy a kormány ilyen lassan reagált a válságra.
Many workers live in scandalous conditions, with no clean water or proper toilets.
Critics described the airline’s scandalous baggage fees as a hidden tax on travelers.
The report highlighted the scandalous inequality between executive pay and average salaries.
Learner examples
Many people think the rent in this city is scandalous.
Sokan úgy gondolják, hogy ebben a városban felháborítóan magas a lakbér.
The workers said their low pay was scandalous and unfair.
A dolgozók azt mondták, hogy a bérük felháborítóan alacsony és igazságtalan.
It is scandalous that some children still have no clean water.
They talked on TV about the scandalous waste of public money.
The delay was scandalous because people needed help quickly.
Common mistake:
Learners may limit *scandalous* only to sexual or personal behavior. In this sense, it is often used for prices, conditions, neglect, or failures that are extremely unfair or unacceptable. They may also confuse it with *scandalized*, which describes people’s feelings rather than the bad situation itself.
Meaning
extremely bad and unacceptable
Collocations
scandalous prices
|scandalous waste
|scandalous conditions
|scandalous neglect
|scandalous inequality
|scandalous failure
Synonyms
outrageous (Very close in meaning; often used for unfair prices or situations that seem unbelievable.)
|
appalling (Stresses that something is very bad and shocking, but does not always imply public protest.)
|
disgraceful (Focuses a bit more on shame and loss of respect than on how extreme the situation is.)
Antonyms
acceptable (Indicates that something is good enough or not bad enough to cause protest.)
|
reasonable (Suggests that something (for example, a price or demand) is fair and not too high or extreme.)
Themes
society
|politics
|economics
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Very bad or wrong in a way that makes people angry and feel it should not be allowed.
Extremely bad, unfair, or unacceptable, especially in a way that people feel should not be allowed to continue.
Grammar
Dictionary form
scandalous
IPA
GB/skˈændələs/
US/skˈændələs/
Syllables & stress
scan - dal - ous (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (scan)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: scandalous
Word family
Core family
scandal
noun B2
scandalously
adverb
Related words
scandalize
verb
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.