Unscrupulous: meaning, example and synonyms
Unscrupulousadj. Having or showing no moral principles; dishonest or unfair.
Example
The report described how unscrupulous dealers had sold forged manuscripts to collectors, often with fabricated records of ownership.
- Part of speech
- adjective
- Synonyms
- dishonest, unprincipled, unethical, corrupt
- Antonyms
- principled, honest, ethical, scrupulous
- Memory tip
- un- ("not") + scruples ("moral doubts"): no moral doubts at all.
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Check yourself: Unscrupulous in context
The investigation revealed that ______ landlords had been charging tenants for repairs that were never made.
Answer: unscrupulous. Charging for repairs that never happened is dishonest. Landlords described as shapeless, hypothetical or impossible to overcome make no sense here.
Consumer advocates warned that ______ sellers were relabeling used phones as new and pocketing the difference.
Answer: unscrupulous. Passing off used phones as new to make money is dishonest, the core of unscrupulous. Nothing suggests the sellers were exhausting, unimportant or shapeless.