Standard Lemma guide

scoundrel

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈskaʊ̯ndɹəl/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S K AW1 N D R AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A mean, worthless fellow; a rascal; a villain; a person without honor or virtue.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: antimodel, bad guy, baddie, bastard, beggar, blackguard, bounder, cad, cockatrice, coistril, evildoer, fustilarian, harlot, heavy, knave, lidderon, makeshift, miscreant, ne'er-do-well, niding, nithing, rapscallion, rascal, rogue, scab, scamp, scapegrace, scoundrel, scum, scumbag, thug, undesirable, varlet, villain

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a wicked or evil person; someone who does evil deliberately

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: villain

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: unwelcome person, persona non grata

Narrower terms: cad, bounder, blackguard, dog, hound, heel, gallows bird, rogue, knave, rascal, rapscallion, scalawag, scallywag, varlet, villainess

History

Etymology

From earlier scondrel, scondrell, skoundrell, skowndrell, of unknown origin. Possibly related to northern English or Scottish scunner, skuner, scouner, scunder (“to shrink back in fear, disgust, or loathing”) (Encyclopædia Britannica 1911).

Across languages

Translations

250 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: skelm — villain
  • Arabic: وَغْد (waḡd) — villain
  • Arabic: نَذْل (naḏl) — villain
  • Arabic: شِرِّير (širrīr) — villain
  • Arabic: مِلْط (milṭ) — villain
  • Arabic: وَضِيع (waḍīʕ) — villain
  • Arabic: شَقِيّ (šaqiyy) — villain
  • Levantine Arabic: أَزْعَر — villain
  • Armenian: սրիկա (srika) — villain
  • Azerbaijani: alçaq — villain
  • Belarusian: няго́днік (njahódnik) — villain
  • Belarusian: няго́дніца (njahódnica) — villain
  • Belarusian: пага́нец (pahánjec) — villain
  • Belarusian: пага́нка (pahánka) — villain
  • Belarusian: псяю́ха (psjajúxa) — villain
  • Belarusian: падлю́га (padljúha) — villain
  • Belarusian: паску́днік (paskúdnik) — villain
  • Belarusian: паску́дніца (paskúdnica) — villain
  • Belarusian: паршы́вец (paršývjec) — villain
  • Belarusian: паршы́ўка (paršýwka) — villain
  • Belarusian: сво́лач (svólač) — villain
  • Belarusian: гад (had) — villain
  • Belarusian: га́дзіна (hádzina) — villain
  • Belarusian: га́даўка (hádawka) — villain
  • Bulgarian: него́дник (negódnik) — villain
  • Bulgarian: него́дничка (negódnička) — villain
  • Bulgarian: мерза́вец (merzávec) — villain
  • Bulgarian: мерза́вка (merzávka) — villain
  • Bulgarian: негодя́й (negodjáj) — villain
  • Bulgarian: подле́ц (podléc) — villain
  • Bulgarian: мръсни́к (mrǎsník) — villain
  • Bulgarian: мръсни́чка (mrǎsníčka) — villain
  • Catalan: brètol — villain
  • Catalan: canalla — villain
  • Catalan: roí — villain
  • Catalan: roín — villain
  • Catalan: brivall — villain
  • Chinese Mandarin: 惡棍 /恶棍 (ègùn) — villain
  • Chinese Mandarin: 壞家伙 (huàijiāhuo) — villain
  • Chinese Mandarin: 混混兒 /混混儿 (hùnhùnr) — villain
  • Chinese Mandarin: 壞蛋 /坏蛋 (huàidàn) — villain
  • Chinese Mandarin: 無籟 /无籁 (wúlài) — villain
  • Chinese Mandarin: 渾蛋 /浑蛋 (húndàn) — villain
  • Chinese Mandarin: 流氓 (liúmáng) — villain
  • Chinese Mandarin: 壞人 /坏人 (huàirén) — villain
  • Chinese Mandarin: 混球 (húnqiú) — villain
  • Chinese Mandarin: 龜兒子 /龟儿子 (guī'érzi) — villain
  • Chinese Mandarin: 王八蛋 (wángbadàn) — villain
  • Czech: gauner — villain
  • Czech: darebák — villain
  • Czech: darebačka — villain
  • Czech: lotr — villain
  • Danish: skurk — villain
  • Dutch: schurk — villain
  • Dutch: schavuit — villain
  • Dutch: ploert — villain
  • Esperanto: kanajlo — villain
  • Esperanto: malnoblulo — villain
  • Esperanto: abomenulo — villain
  • Esperanto: fripono — villain
  • Finnish: roisto — villain
  • Finnish: lurjus — villain
  • Finnish: konna — villain
  • Finnish: ketku — villain
  • Finnish: kanalja — villain
  • Finnish: hunsvotti — villain
  • Finnish: kelmi — villain
  • Finnish: heittiö — villain
  • Finnish: ilkimys — villain
  • Finnish: liero — villain
  • Finnish: ketale — villain
  • French: scélérat — villain
  • French: scélérate — villain
  • French: gredin — villain
  • French: gredine — villain
  • French: canaille — villain
  • Galician: moinante — villain
  • German: Gauner — villain
  • German: Gaunerin — villain
  • German: Halunke — villain
  • German: Halunkin — villain
  • German: Schurke — villain
  • German: Schurkin — villain
  • Greek: παλιάνθρωπος (paliánthropos) — villain
  • Hebrew: בֶּן בְּלִיַּעַל (ben bliyá'al) — villain
  • Hindi: बदमाश (badmāś) — villain
  • Hungarian: gazember — villain
  • Hungarian: lókötő — villain
  • Hungarian: csirkefogó — villain
  • Hungarian: gazfickó — villain
  • Indonesian: bajingan — villain
  • Indonesian: bangsat — villain
  • Interlingua: scelerato — villain
  • Irish: bithiúnach — villain
  • Irish: alfraits — villain
  • Irish: anchúinse — villain
  • Irish: ropaire — villain
  • Italian: canaglia — villain
  • Italian: farabutto — villain
  • Italian: furfante — villain
  • Italian: mascalzone — villain
  • Italian: briccone — villain
  • Italian: disonesto — villain
  • Italian: manigoldo — villain
  • Japanese: 悪党 (akutō) — villain
  • Japanese: 悪漢 (akkan) — villain
  • Japanese: 悪人 (akunin) — villain
  • Kaitag: угъра́ш (uɣráš) — villain
  • Kaitag: пуча́ (pučá) — villain
  • Kazakh: мүттайым (müttaiym) — villain
  • Kazakh: оңбаған (oñbağan) — villain
  • Kazakh: содыр (sodyr) — villain
  • Korean: 악당 (akdang) — villain
  • Korean: 악한 (akhan) — villain
  • Korean: 불량자 (bullyangja) — villain
  • Kyrgyz: шүмшүк (şümşük) — villain
  • Kyrgyz: жүлүк (jülük) — villain
  • Kyrgyz: митаам (mitaam) — villain
  • Kyrgyz: арамза (aramza) — villain
  • Latin: furcifer — villain
  • Latin: furcifera — villain
  • Latin: verberō — villain
  • Macedonian: подлец (podlec) — villain
  • Malayalam: തെമ്മാടി (temmāṭi) — villain
  • Māori: taurekareka — villain
  • Māori: tainanakia — villain
  • Middle English: sot — villain
  • Norman: blégèrde — villain
  • Norman: peûle — villain
  • Persian: رذل (razl) — villain
  • Plautdietsch: Bädel — villain
  • Plautdietsch: Spetzbub — villain
  • Plautdietsch: Hollunk — villain
  • Plautdietsch: Schuft — villain
  • Polish: łotr — villain
  • Polish: drań — villain
  • Polish: obwieś — villain
  • Polish: łajdak — villain
  • Polish: złoczyńca — villain
  • Polish: podlec — villain
  • Polish: kanalia — villain
  • Polish: łachudra — villain
  • Polish: bydlak — villain
  • Polish: bydlę — villain
  • Polish: menda — villain
  • Polish: łajza — villain
  • Polish: plugawiec — villain
  • Polish: niegodziwiec — villain
  • Polish: nikczemnik — villain
  • Polish: świnia — villain
  • Polish: bezecnik — villain
  • Polish: szumowina — villain
  • Polish: wyrodek — villain
  • Polish: szuja — villain
  • Polish: gad — villain
  • Polish: gadzina — villain
  • Polish: parszywiec — villain
  • Polish: gnojek — villain
  • Polish: nędznik — villain
  • Portuguese: canalha — villain
  • Punjabi: ਲੁੱਚ (lucca) — villain
  • Punjabi: ਲੁੰਡ (luṇḍ) — villain
  • Punjabi: ਬਦਮਾਸ਼ (badmāś) — villain
  • Punjabi: ਰਿੰਦ (rind) — villain
  • Romanian: mișel — villain
  • Romanian: mișea — villain
  • Russian: негодя́й (negodjáj) — villain
  • Russian: негодя́йка (negodjájka) — villain
  • Russian: мерза́вец (merzávec) — villain
  • Russian: мерза́вка (merzávka) — villain
  • Russian: подле́ц (podléc) — villain
  • Russian: паску́да (paskúda) — villain
  • Russian: мразь (mrazʹ) — villain
  • Russian: падлю́ка (padljúka) — villain
  • Russian: парши́вец (paršívec) — villain
  • Russian: парши́вка (paršívka) — villain
  • Russian: подо́нок (podónok) — villain
  • Russian: вы́родок (výrodok) — villain
  • Russian: отморо́зок (otmorózok) — villain
  • Russian: гад (gad) — villain
  • Russian: гадёныш (gadjónyš) — villain
  • Russian: пога́нец (pogánec) — villain
  • Russian: пога́нка (pogánka) — villain
  • Russian: га́дина (gádina) — villain
  • Russian: говню́к (govnjúk) — villain
  • Russian: ублю́док (ubljúdok) — villain
  • Russian: сво́лочь (svóločʹ) — villain
  • Russian: гни́да (gnída) — villain
  • Scottish Gaelic: bleigeard — villain
  • Scottish Gaelic: blaigeard — villain
  • Scottish Gaelic: balgair — villain
  • Scottish Gaelic: slaightear — villain
  • Serbo-Croatian: ху̏ља — villain
  • Serbo-Croatian: зли̏ковац — villain
  • Serbo-Croatian: hȕlja — villain
  • Serbo-Croatian: zlȉkovac — villain
  • Sicilian: viḍḍanu — villain
  • Sicilian: malantrinu — villain
  • Slovak: darebák — villain
  • Slovak: darebačka — villain
  • Slovak: gauner — villain
  • Slovak: lotor — villain
  • Slovene: podlež — villain
  • Slovene: podlica — villain
  • Slovene: nizkotnež — villain
  • Slovene: nizkotnica — villain
  • Spanish: bribón — villain
  • Spanish: canalla — villain
  • Spanish: bellaco — villain
  • Spanish: villano — villain
  • Spanish: malandrín — villain
  • Spanish: pillastre — villain
  • Spanish: sinvergüenza — villain
  • Spanish: barrabás — villain
  • Spanish: bandido — villain
  • Spanish: jeta — villain
  • Spanish: mezquino — villain
  • Swedish: usling — villain
  • Swedish: lymmel — villain
  • Swedish: svinpäls — villain
  • Swedish: fähund — villain
  • Tagalog: balawis — villain
  • Tajik: разил (razil) — villain
  • Tajik: нокас (nokas) — villain
  • Tajik: нобакор (nobakor) — villain
  • Turkish: alçak — villain
  • Turkish: köpek — villain
  • Turkish: dürzü — villain
  • Ottoman Turkish: لوند (levend) — villain
  • Ukrainian: негі́дник (nehídnyk) — villain
  • Ukrainian: негі́дниця (nehídnycja) — villain
  • Ukrainian: драб (drab) — villain
  • Ukrainian: мерзо́тник (merzótnyk) — villain
  • Ukrainian: мерзо́тниця (merzótnycja) — villain
  • Ukrainian: пога́нець (pohánecʹ) — villain
  • Ukrainian: паску́да (paskúda) — villain
  • Ukrainian: падлю́ка (padljúka) — villain
  • Ukrainian: підло́тник (pidlótnyk) — villain
  • Ukrainian: парши́вець (paršývecʹ) — villain
  • Ukrainian: парши́вка (paršývka) — villain
  • Ukrainian: своло́та (svolóta) — villain
  • Ukrainian: на́волоч (návoloč) — villain
  • Ukrainian: сволоцю́га (svolocjúha) — villain
  • Ukrainian: гад (had) — villain
  • Ukrainian: га́дина (hádyna) — villain
  • Yiddish: פּאַסקודניאַק (paskudnyak) — villain
  • Yiddish: סוואָלאָטש (svolotsh) — villain
  • Danish: slubbert — a person without honour or virtue
  • Danish: slambert — a person without honour or virtue
  • Danish: slyngel — a person without honour or virtue