1
as in masses
people looked down upon as ignorant and of the lowest class
claimed that only scum lived in that part of town
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bastard
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
ignore the heckler—he's complete scum
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of scum
That’s what the scum bags, and there is no nicer way of describing them, behind the Hello Pervert sextortion campaign do.
—
Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
The Rubbermaid Reveal Power Scrubber Kit is the ultimate cleaning tool that’s made for removing scum, grime, and dirt from all the hard-to-reach areas of your home.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 27 June 2025
The charges against Baraka were swiftly dropped, but prosecutors later brought charges against Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), accusing her of assaulting law enforcement with her forearms during the scum.
—Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 18 June 2025
Machine washable Shower curtain liners are prone to building up with soap scum and mildew if not cleaned regularly.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for scum
Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
The Rubbermaid Reveal Power Scrubber Kit is the ultimate cleaning tool that’s made for removing scum, grime, and dirt from all the hard-to-reach areas of your home.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 27 June 2025
The charges against Baraka were swiftly dropped, but prosecutors later brought charges against Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), accusing her of assaulting law enforcement with her forearms during the scum.
—Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 18 June 2025
Machine washable Shower curtain liners are prone to building up with soap scum and mildew if not cleaned regularly.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for scum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scum
Noun
-
There was little-to-no doubt Jurgen Klopp’s side were going to defeat Ralf Rangnick’s under-interim-management rabble that day.—
Carl Anka,
The Athletic,
4 Jan. 2025
-
Advertisement From start to finish, pure madness, amid a rabble that never calmed, never quieted, never quit.—
Bill Plaschke,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
No, the worst Christopher Reeve Superman film is not the embarrassing Cannon Films installment but rather the one featuring a world-class comedian, a woman turning into a computer, and a terrific junkyard battle between Clark Kent and his belligerent jerk doppelganger.—
Rory Doherty,
Vulture,
11 July 2025
-
Midtown Global Market’s Irie Jamaican serves oxtail (jerk or barbecue) with festival (a sweet, fried bread); sweet plantains; coconut shrimp skewers; and a ginger and hibiscus drink.—
Jess Fleming,
Twin Cities,
9 July 2025
Noun
-
But the deeper concern goes beyond ice crystals, to the notion that government agencies are trying to poison the populace or affect weather patterns through geoengineering.—
Skyler Swisher,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 July 2025
-
And so, Frank and Dennis took to shaking down the populace after Frank sprang for two police uniforms, Dee beat the hell out of the unhoused masturbator, and Charlie seized upon his undercover Serpico cop role to attempt a series of stings on his fellow corrupt fake cops.—
Dennis Perkins,
EW.com,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
Pepe the Frog became political, then hate symbol, during 2016 election The frog doodle in clown accessories that flashes in the video is known as Pepe the Frog, and its appearance in Trump's social media posts has sparked interest before.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
22 July 2025
-
Visitors can take part in the action at the on-site museum where 700 pieces of clown memorabilia are displayed in every nook and cranny, some even suspended from the ceiling.—
Rebecca Deurlein,
Southern Living,
22 July 2025
Noun
-
According to the probable cause affidavit reviewed by PEOPLE in January 2023, authorities identified him after matching DNA on trash taken from Bryan's parents' home to that of the sheath of the knife used in the stabbings that was left at the crime scene.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
24 July 2025
-
An Afghan National Army pickup truck passes parked U.S. armored military vehicles, as smoke rises from a fire in a trash burn pit at Forward Operating Base Caferetta Nawzad, Helmand province south of Kabul, Afghanistan,...—
Sophie Clark,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
Noun
-
This included four search dogs, three doctors, a diving team and a water extraction contingent, Tunisia’s state news agency TAP reported.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN,
13 Sep. 2023
-
According to LifeLine, the DeKalb shelter takes in 135 dogs a week on average.—
Jim Gaines,
ajc,
13 Sep. 2023
Noun
-
Somehow, this respectable foe of radicalism had organized the political realignment that broke up the Union, sustained the war that overthrew the South’s ruling class, and managed the struggle that emancipated its proletariat.—
Matthew Karp,
Harpers Magazine,
29 Apr. 2025
-
As is the case with the aesthetics of people, exquisite lines can be found on patrician and proletariat cars alike.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The animals included 12 bats, nine racoons, eight skunks, two groundhogs, a bobcat, three cats and a fox, data shows.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
14 July 2025
-
People and domestic animals should always avoid physical contact with wild animals such as raccoons, bats, foxes, skunks, otters, bobcats, coyotes, which carry a higher risk of human exposure and a need for rabies post-exposure treatment.—
Orlando Sentinel Staff,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scum. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share