as in villain
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
some scoundrel stole my wallet
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Recent Examples of scoundrel
The plot is very old-school Conan Doyle, with scoundrels in sideburns and evil temptresses in gaudy frilly outfits.
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Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 Feb. 2024
You are being forced to surrender your country without a fight to the gang of traitors, thieves, and scoundrels who have seized power.
—Alexei Navalny, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024
Still, our heroes are not traditional heroes but rather scoundrels and knaves and outcasts, all of whom have complex inner turmoil and compelling character arcs.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
New Eden is the archetypical frontier town, with people coming together despite hardships to build this little slice of heaven, and the International Peacekeeping Forces are the army of scoundrels arriving by train into town to wreak havoc and destroy everything.
—Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scoundrel 
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 Feb. 2024
You are being forced to surrender your country without a fight to the gang of traitors, thieves, and scoundrels who have seized power.
—Alexei Navalny, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024
Still, our heroes are not traditional heroes but rather scoundrels and knaves and outcasts, all of whom have complex inner turmoil and compelling character arcs.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
New Eden is the archetypical frontier town, with people coming together despite hardships to build this little slice of heaven, and the International Peacekeeping Forces are the army of scoundrels arriving by train into town to wreak havoc and destroy everything.
—Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scoundrel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scoundrel
Noun
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Also tossed in are picturesque but gratuitous use of famous tourist landmarks as background, near-superheroic training montages, credible intimate character dynamics, a ruthless villain (Johan Heldenbergh as Vanaken) and action that in the home stretch goes absurdly over-the-top.Dennis Harvey, Variety, 13 Jan. 2025
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And though Young and (especially) the perpetrators of the massacre are clearly the villains of the piece, their past history at least partly explains their choices.Keith Phipps, Vulture, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Maliki is a divisive brute whom Iran supports to the hilt.Dov Friedman, Foreign Affairs, 17 June 2014
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One million doctors to give care, 1.4 million brutes in cubicles doing their best to stop doctors from giving that care.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Often regarded by historians as a collection of savage tribes, the Scythians emerge as a pivotal force of the ancient world in this monumental history.The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2023
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Nearly 32 years ago, Rodney King’s savage beating by police in Los Angeles prompted heartfelt calls for change.Aaron Morrison, Claudia Lauer and Adrian Sainz, Anchorage Daily News, 29 Jan. 2023
Noun
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This year there’s a new monster in the form of Atakhan, who does look quite cool, some changes to the early game objectives and some new boot upgrades, but that’s pretty much it.Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
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The major averages fizzled at the finish line last year, following a monster performance.Sarah Min, CNBC, 2 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near scoundrel
Cite this Entry
“Scoundrel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scoundrel. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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