scoundrel

/'skaundrəl/

Thân thiện

A scoundrel stole the merchant's purse in the crowded market.

Definition

Noun: A person who is morally reprehensible, dishonest, or wicked; someone who deliberately engages in evil or unscrupulous behavior.

Usage

The word "scoundrel" is a strong, somewhat old-fashioned term used to describe a person of very low moral character. It often implies a charming or deceitful nature and is used to express strong disapproval or contempt.

Examples

• That scoundrel cheated his own business partners out of millions.
• In classic literature, the hero often defeats a dastardly scoundrel.
• He was nothing but a lying scoundrel who couldn't be trusted.

Advanced Usage

• "A complete/total scoundrel": Used for emphasis to describe someone utterly without principle.
  • After he abandoned his family, everyone knew he was a complete scoundrel.
• "Rogue and scoundrel": Often paired with "rogue" for literary or emphatic effect, though they are close synonyms.
  • The novel's villain was a charming rogue and an unrepentant scoundrel.

Variants and Related Words

• Scoundrelly (adjective): Having the qualities of a scoundrel; villainous.
  • His scoundrelly behavior finally caught up with him.

Synonyms

• Rogue: A dishonest or unprincipled man, but can sometimes imply a mischievous charm.
• Villain: A character whose evil actions or motives are important to the plot; a cruelly malicious person.
• Reprobate: An unprincipled or depraved person.
• Cad: A man who behaves dishonorably, especially toward a woman (dated, chiefly British).

Idioms

• "A scoundrel in silk stockings": An idiom describing a sophisticated or high-society person who is, at heart, a villain.
  • The corrupt politician was a scoundrel in silk stockings, using his charm to hide his crimes.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a wicked or evil person; someone who does evil deliberately

Từ đồng nghĩa

• villain