Standard Lemma guide

scrupulous

adj · 6 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.

  • /ˈskɹuː.pjə.ləs/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S K R UW1 P Y AH0 L AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Exactly and carefully conducted.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: meticulous, painstaking, accurate, careful, surgical, comprehensive, solicitous, conscientious, exhaustive, fastidious, groundly, in-depth, intensive, letter-perfect, mindful, minute, particular, polished, precise, punctilious, rigorous, root and branch, scrupulous, scrutinous, sedulous, strict, thorough, tight

Antonyms: unscrupulous

2

adj

Meaning 2

Having scruples or compunctions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: worried

Antonyms: Machiavellian

3

adj

Meaning 3

Precise; exact or strict.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He is scrupulous in his finances.
  • He is a scrupulous businessman and always acts in the best interest of his company.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Wrongly feeling guilt or anxiety about one’s morality; suffering from scrupulosity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Because I have a scrupulous conscience, I sometimes need to be reminded that not everything I do is sinful.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ethical, fair-minded, honourable, just, moral, righteous

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective

Meaning 5

having scruples; arising from a sense of right and wrong; principled

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • less scrupulous producers sent bundles that were deceptive in appearance

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: unscrupulous

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

characterized by extreme care and great effort

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • conscientious application to the work at hand
  • painstaking research
  • scrupulous attention to details

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: conscientious, painstaking

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle French scrupuleux, from Latin scrupulosus.

Across languages

Translations

69 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: съвестен (sǎvesten) — meticulous
  • Bulgarian: щателен (štatelen) — meticulous
  • Danish: omhyggelig — meticulous
  • Dutch: scrupuleus — meticulous
  • Dutch: angstvallig — meticulous
  • Dutch: meticuleus — meticulous
  • Galician: escrupuloso — meticulous
  • German: sorgfältig — meticulous
  • German: gründlich — meticulous
  • Icelandic: grandvar — meticulous
  • Italian: coscienzioso — meticulous
  • Italian: accurato — meticulous
  • Italian: meticoloso — meticulous
  • Kazakh: мұқият (mūqiät) — meticulous
  • Kazakh: ұқыпты (ūqypty) — meticulous
  • Latin: scrūpulōsus — meticulous
  • Māori: uhupoho — meticulous
  • Māori: rikarika — meticulous
  • Norwegian Bokmål: skrupuløs — meticulous
  • Norwegian Bokmål: nøye — meticulous
  • Norwegian Bokmål: grundig — meticulous
  • Norwegian Bokmål: omhyggelig — meticulous
  • Polish: skrupulatny — meticulous
  • Polish: drobiazgowy — meticulous
  • Portuguese: escrupuloso — meticulous
  • Russian: скрупулёзный (skrupuljóznyj) — meticulous
  • Russian: тщательный (tščatelʹnyj) — meticulous
  • Russian: доскональный (doskonalʹnyj) — meticulous
  • Sicilian: cuscinziusu — meticulous
  • Sicilian: minuzziusu — meticulous
  • Sicilian: miticulusu — meticulous
  • Sicilian: pricisinu — meticulous
  • Sicilian: scrupulusu — meticulous
  • Swedish: noggrann — meticulous
  • Swedish: omsorgsfull — meticulous
  • Swedish: sorgfällig — meticulous
  • Swedish: grundlig — meticulous
  • Swedish: skrupulös — meticulous
  • Swedish: försiktig — meticulous
  • Swedish: betänksam — meticulous
  • Swedish: nogräknad — meticulous
  • Ukrainian: скрупульо́зний (skrupulʹóznyj) — meticulous
  • Czech: skrupulózní — having scruples
  • Danish: samvittighedsfuld — having scruples
  • Māori: mōteatea — having scruples
  • Māori: rikarika — having scruples
  • Māori: pohopā — having scruples
  • Norwegian Bokmål: skrupuløs — having scruples
  • Norwegian Bokmål: samvittighetsfull — having scruples
  • Polish: mający skrupuły — having scruples
  • Russian: добросовестный (dobrosovestnyj) — having scruples
  • Russian: порядочный (porjadočnyj) — having scruples
  • Russian: со́вестливый (sóvestlivyj) — having scruples
  • Sicilian: cuscinziusu — having scruples
  • Sicilian: miticulusu — having scruples
  • Sicilian: scrupulusu — having scruples
  • Swedish: skrupulös — having scruples
  • Swedish: samvetsgrann — having scruples
  • Swedish: samvetsöm — having scruples
  • Ukrainian: сумлі́нний (sumlínnyj) — having scruples
  • Ukrainian: добросо́вісний (dobrosóvisnyj) — having scruples
  • Bulgarian: добросъвествн (dobrosǎvestvn) — having principles
  • German: gewissenhaft — having principles
  • Norwegian Bokmål: skrupuløs — having principles
  • Norwegian Bokmål: prinsippfast — having principles
  • Polish: zasadniczy — having principles
  • Sicilian: cuscinziusu — having principles
  • Sicilian: miticulusu — having principles
  • Sicilian: scrupulusu — having principles