Definitions

unscrupulous

[uhn-skroo-pyuh-luhs] / ʌnˈskru pyə ləs /

ADJECTIVE

immoral

Synonyms

STRONGEST

corrupt crafty crooked deceitful dishonest illegal petty ruthless selfish shady shameless underhanded unethical venal

WEAK

arrant base casuistic conscienceless degraded degrading disgraceful dishonorable down and dirty exploitative improper low-down mercenary perfidious questionable recreant scandalous scheming self-seeking shifty sinister slippery sly two-faced unconscientious unconscionable underhand unfair unprincipled unworthy wicked wrongful

Antonyms

STRONGEST

aboveboard decent ethical fair frank good honest honorable kind lawful moral open principled right trustworthy truthful upright

WEAK

scrupulous

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Ramaphosa explained how unscrupulous employers pay undocumented migrants well below the minimum wage and "merely" pay a fine if caught.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

Imran Hussain, from the Refugee Council charity, said it was "deplorable that unscrupulous advisers are exploiting desperate and vulnerable people for profit and those responsible must be held to account".

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Dentists’ reputations for being maverick investors have made them targets for unscrupulous actors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

When the Justice Department and the IRS go after unscrupulous preparers, they often obtain plea deals in exchange for the preparer’s cooperation.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 27, 2026

He was an energetic but unscrupulous reporter, willing to take bribes to slant stories.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

Vocabulary lists containing unscrupulous

The Catcher in the Rye

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Power Prefix: un-

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Grade 10, List 6

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