different between shocking vs scandalous

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /???k??/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /???k??/
• Rhymes: -?k??

Adjective

shocking (comparative more shocking, superlative most shocking)

1. Inspiring shock; startling.
2. Unusually obscene or lewd.
3. (colloquial) Extremely bad.

   What a shocking calamity!

Synonyms

See Thesaurus:surprising

Translations

Verb

shocking

1. present participle of shock

Noun

shocking (plural shockings)

1. The application of an electric shock.

Anagrams

• Hockings, chokings

English

Etymology

From Medieval Latin scandalosus, via French scandaleuse; as if scandal + -ous.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?skænd?l?s/

Adjective

scandalous (comparative more scandalous, superlative most scandalous)

1. Wrong, immoral, causing a scandal
   • 1884, Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

     The thing made a big stir in the town, too, and a good many come out flatfooted and said it was scandalous to separate the mother and the children that way.

2. Malicious, defamatory.
   • 1592, Thomas Kyd, The Spanish Tragedie

     These be the scandalous reports of such / As loves not me, and hate my lord too much.

   • 1887, Marie Corelli, Thelma

     I always disregard gossip--it is generally scandalous, and seldom true.
3. Outrageous; exceeding reasonable limits.

Derived terms

• scandalously
• scandalousness

Translations