SCRUPLE Synonyms: 245 Similar and Opposite Words

scruple 1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈskrü-pəl

Definition of scruple next

as in shred

a very small amount went about her business without even a scruple of suspicion

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in speck

a very small piece left just a scruple of asparagus on the plate

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scruple

2 of 3

noun (2)

as in doubt

an uneasy feeling about the rightness of what one is doing or going to do the survey showed that many students had few scruples about cheating on papers or exams

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

scruple

3 of 3

verb

as in to hesitate

to show uncertainty about the right course of action a tabloid journalist who has never scrupled to reveal the most intimate details about the lives of celebrities

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun scruple differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of scruple are compunction, demur, and qualm. While all these words mean "a misgiving about what one is doing or going to do," scruple implies doubt of the rightness of an act on grounds of principle.

no scruples against buying stolen goods

In what contexts can compunction take the place of scruple?

The meanings of compunction and scruple largely overlap; however, compunction implies a spontaneous feeling of responsibility or compassion for a potential victim.

had compunctions about lying

Where would demur be a reasonable alternative to scruple?

Although the words demur and scruple have much in common, demur implies hesitation caused by objection to an outside suggestion or influence.

accepted her decision without demur

When could qualm be used to replace scruple?

The synonyms qualm and scruple are sometimes interchangeable, but qualm implies an uneasy fear that one is not following one's conscience or better judgment.

no qualms about plagiarizing

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of scruple

Noun

Randy Orton essentially played his cold robot doppelgänger, a fellow handsome main-eventer who lacked Cena’s scruples. —

Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 18 July 2024 Casey also seemed to have few scruples about doing what was needed to win. —

Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2024 But when Jackson knocked on his door, Upham immediately put aside his scruples. —

Susanna Ashton, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Aug. 2024 Hilton, not exactly a figure known for journalistic scruples, felt that Enty’s standards on the blog frequently fell short. —

Lila Shapiro, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2024 Allen’s movies have often displayed an obsession with the nature of evil, a fascination with those who are able to do evil and go on living normally—whose powers of compartmentalization, rationalization, or simple self-righteousness are stronger than their scruples. —

Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2024 Moral leadership, moral clarity and moral scruples are centerpieces of civilization, eclipsing economic statistics or military power. —

Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 9 Feb. 2024 However, his acquisitive wife, who had no such scruples, accepted in his stead, and this became the Summer White House. —

Martin Filler, The New York Review of Books, 9 Nov. 2023 By 2006, no one in Lebanon had any illusions about Israel’s attachment to disproportionality and determination to lash out at enemies with few scruples and considerable wrath. —

Hussein Ibish, The New Republic, 1 Nov. 2023