Scandalous
/ˈskæn.dəl.əs/noun
Causing public outrage, shock, or moral disapproval.
Did you know?The root behind scandalous, Greek skándalon, originally meant a trap or stumbling block, and in biblical Greek it became a metaphor for spiritual snare and offense.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*skel-
“to bend, split, or trip”
Ancient Greek
Greek
skándalon
“a trap, snare, or stumbling block”
Late Greek
Greek
skandalizein
“to cause to stumble; to offend”
Late Latin
Latin
scandalum
“a stumbling block; offense”
Old French
Old French
scandale
“disgrace, public scandal”
Late Middle English
English
scandalous
“full of scandal; disgraceful”
Explore more surprising origins