as in bastard
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
don't romanticize that con artist, as she's nothing more than a scumbag who cheats the most vulnerable
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Recent Examples of scumbag
Josh Safdie cannot resist an unrepentant scumbag protagonist.
—
Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Since then, he's played killers, cops, aliens, scumbags, and mean dads in films like Cop Land (1997), The Faculty (1998), and Walk the Line (2005), as well as series such as The X-Files (2000–2002), 1923 (2022–2025), and Peacemaker (2022–present).
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025
Once the province of bikers and sailors and scumbags, tattoos now appear on nearly one-third of all Americans.
—John Semley, The Atlantic, 22 Sep. 2025
There are two types of scumbag in the cybercrime world: those who pick on vulnerable individuals to perpetrate their fraud, and those who target healthcare in search of illicit financial gains.
—Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scumbag
Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Since then, he's played killers, cops, aliens, scumbags, and mean dads in films like Cop Land (1997), The Faculty (1998), and Walk the Line (2005), as well as series such as The X-Files (2000–2002), 1923 (2022–2025), and Peacemaker (2022–present).
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025
Once the province of bikers and sailors and scumbags, tattoos now appear on nearly one-third of all Americans.
—John Semley, The Atlantic, 22 Sep. 2025
There are two types of scumbag in the cybercrime world: those who pick on vulnerable individuals to perpetrate their fraud, and those who target healthcare in search of illicit financial gains.
—Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scumbag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scumbag
Noun
-
Smarmy jerks can get obscenely wealthy in this country just by managing other people’s money.—
Gilad Edelman,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The food shies away from the typical — no crab rangoon here — for finger foods that harken to cuisines outside the South Pacific, like Jamaican style jerk shrimp skewers ($18) and salmon ceviche ($16).—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Deep cherry red, black, and white come together to create a whimsical world of dice, cards, sad clowns, and a ticking pocketwatch.—
Samantha Brash,
InStyle,
8 Feb. 2026
-
These clowns don't even have the courage of their pathetic White supremacist convictions.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Small dogs aren’t always cheaper — a Chihuahua costs nearly $29,649.—
Cheryl V. Jackson,
IndyStar,
9 Feb. 2026
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The ad oozes cuteness, featuring an adorable baby, a charming house and a faithful family dog.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scumbag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scumbag. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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