unscrupulous

adjective

un·​scru·​pu·​lous ˌən-ˈskrü-pyə-ləs How to pronounce unscrupulous (audio)
Synonyms of unscrupulous
: not scrupulous : unprincipled
… replicas that unscrupulous shopkeepers may sometimes try to palm off as the real thing.—Geri Trotta
unscrupulously adverb
unscrupulousness noun

Synonyms of unscrupulous

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of unscrupulous in a Sentence

an unscrupulous businessman manipulated them into selling their land for practically nothing
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The stark truth is that unscrupulous athletic departments, sports agents, and conferences will slow roll and stonewall following the rules. — U.s. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Hartford Courant, 24 Aug. 2026 Haroon said early examples were often crude, produced cheaply by struggling artists working for unscrupulous dealers. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 19 Aug. 2026 Magneto’s methods of fighting violence with violence may have sometimes been unscrupulous, but his ideology was always compelling, to X-Men members and viewers alike. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026 True to form, the story is narrated by an unscrupulous wanna-be novelist named Bret Easton Ellis (Igby Rigney), a closet case lusting away for the new hunk at his cruel prep school. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unscrupulous

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unscrupulous was in 1803

Rhymes for unscrupulous

See All Rhymes for unscrupulous

Browse Nearby Words

unscrupulosity
unscrupulous
unscrupulously
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unscrupulous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unscrupulous. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

unscrupulous

adjective
un·​scru·​pu·​lous ˌən-ˈskrü-pyə-ləs How to pronounce unscrupulous (audio)
ˈən-
: not scrupulous : unprincipled
unscrupulously adverb
unscrupulousness noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

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

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

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

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All