scurrilous
Adjective
Hard difficulty
What does “scurrilous” mean?
adjective.making or spreading scandalous claims about someone with the intention of damaging their reputation.
SAT Usage
this term often appears in passages discussing politics, media, or personal conflicts, emphasizing the malicious intent behind the claims made. It implies a level of deliberate dishonesty and character assassination, distinguishing it from similar words like "slander," which focuses more on the act of making false statements rather than the scandalous nature of the claims themselves.
Common Confusions
Scurrilous implies a deliberate intent to damage someone's reputation through scandalous claims, while defamatory usually suggests any false statements that harm someone's reputation without necessarily emphasizing the scandalous nature of those claims.
Example Sentences
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The scurrilous article contained false and damaging claims.