scarlet letter

noun

: a scarlet A worn as a punitive mark of adultery

Examples of scarlet letter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
That shame, that scarlet letter, that’s with you forever. Deadline, 4 June 2025 His outsider status as a hunchback is instead a costume that presumably serves as scarlet letter or Star of David. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025 If the Rockies lose 125 games, or even 115 games, will Schaffer be marked by the scarlet letter of failure? Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 25 May 2025 De-shame debt Debt, whether from student loans or credit cards, can feel like a scarlet letter. Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for scarlet letter

Word History

Etymology

from such a letter in the novel The Scarlet Letter (1850) by Nathaniel Hawthorne

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scarlet letter was in 1850

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scarlet letter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scarlet%20letter. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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