SCANDAL

scandal, dirt, malicious gossip

(noun) disgraceful gossip about the private lives of other people

scandal, outrage

(noun) a disgraceful event

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

scandal (countable and uncountable, plural scandals)

An incident or event that disgraces or damages the reputation of the persons or organization involved.

Damage to one's reputation.

Widespread moral outrage, indignation, as over an offence to decency.

(theology) Religious discredit; an act or behaviour which brings a religion into discredit.

(theology) Something which hinders acceptance of religious ideas or behaviour; a stumbling-block or offense.

Defamatory talk; gossip, slander.

Verb

scandal (third-person singular simple present scandals, present participle scandaling or scandalling, simple past and past participle scandaled or scandalled)

(obsolete) To treat opprobriously; to defame; to slander.

(obsolete) To scandalize; to offend.

Source: Wiktionary

Scan"dal, n. Etym: [F. scandale, fr. L. scandalum, Gr. scandle, OF. escandle. See Slander.]

1. Offense caused or experienced; reproach or reprobation called forth by what is regarded as wrong, criminal, heinous, or flagrant: opprobrium or disgrace. O, what a scandal is it to our crown, That two such noble peers as ye should jar! Shak. [I] have brought scandal To Israel, diffidence of God, and doubt In feeble hearts. Milton.

2. Reproachful aspersion; opprobrious censure; defamatory talk, uttered heedlessly or maliciously. You must not put another scandal on him. Shak. My known virtue is from scandal free. Dryden.

3. (Equity)

Definition: Anything alleged in pleading which is impertinent, and is reproachful to any person, or which derogates from the dignity of the court, or is contrary to good manners. Daniell.

Syn.

– Defamation; detraction; slander; calumny; opprobrium; reproach; shame; disgrace.

Scan"dal, v. t.

1. To treat opprobriously; to defame; to asperse; to traduce; to slander. [R.] I do faws on men and hug them hard And after scandal them. Shak.

2. To scandalize; to offend. [Obs.] Bp. Story.

Syn.

– To defame; traduce; reproach; slander; calumniate; asperse; vilify; disgarce.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition