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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example 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 scumbag
This is a scumbag move and incentivizes me to dump them.
—
Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
The sequel to 2021's Furioza brings us back into the dark and unsettling Polish underworld, as a young scumbag gets stuck under the thumb of the police and has to infiltrate a notorious prison as an informant.
—PC Magazine, 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
See All Example Sentences for scumbag
Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
The sequel to 2021's Furioza brings us back into the dark and unsettling Polish underworld, as a young scumbag gets stuck under the thumb of the police and has to infiltrate a notorious prison as an informant.
—PC Magazine, 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
See All Example Sentences for scumbag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scumbag
Noun
-
There’s an almost-friendship-ending rift over husbands (Brent Thiessen is Cee Cee’s, a cool-guy theater director; Ben Jacoby is Bertie’s, a rich jerk) that feels deeply dated and, in the context of the women’s tell-each-other-everything friendship, just plain weird.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The jerk chicken is rubbed in a sweet honey glaze.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There’s some Streisand, too, and a big dose of Andrea Martin, specifically Martin’s signature SCTV character Edith Prickley, that bawdy, gawdy ham with all the bravado of a Catskills clown.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Once completed, the $5 million acquisition will ensure the theater has a permanent home, a place where skateboarding clowns and leek-haired onions can continue to frolic and dance for decades to come.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In recent years, Ed Sheeran slipped behind the counter, gamely slinging dogs and taking his fair share of abuse from the staff.—
Jimmy Jellinek,
SPIN,
27 Apr. 2026
-
During the day, McKinley Park is filled with activity, from dog walkers and joggers to families enjoying the outdoors.—
Conor McGill,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scumbag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scumbag. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
