scabrous

[ skab-ruhs ]

adjective

1. having a rough surface because of minute points or projections.
2. indecent or scandalous; risqué; obscene:

   scabrous books.

   Synonyms: improper, wanton, lewd

3. full of difficulties.

scabrous

/ ˈskeɪbrəs /

adjective

1. roughened because of small projections; scaly
2. indelicate, indecent, or salacious

   scabrous humour

3. difficult to deal with; knotty

Derived Forms

• ˈscabrously, adverb
• ˈscabrousness, noun

Other Words From

• scabrous·ly adverb
• scabrous·ness noun
• un·scabrous adjective
• un·scabrous·ly adverb
• un·scabrous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of scabrous¹

1575–85; < Latin scab ( e ) r rough + -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of scabrous¹

C17: from Latin scaber rough; related to scabies

Example Sentences

Shel Talmy, the American record producer who helped foment the British Invasion by capturing the scabrous guitar riff in the Kinks’ “You Really Got Me” and Roger Daltrey’s stuttering vocal line in the Who’s “My Generation,” died Wednesday.

From Los Angeles Times

The self-titled debut that emerged in 1999 raised the bar for scabrous yet song-driven riffing, at a time when nü-metal fought teen pop atop the charts and on MTV’s “Total Request Live.”

From Los Angeles Times

David Yow’s scabrous post-hardcore band took Albini’s legacy of honest, blistering noise and made some of the best rock records of the ’90s like “Liar” and “Goat.”

From Los Angeles Times

The theater lost the case, and both “Saved” and Bond’s next play, “Early Morning,” a scabrous satire on British royalty, were banned in Britain.

From Seattle Times

His songs blended the scabrous and the sentimental, ranging from carousing anthems to snapshots of life in the gutter to unexpectedly tender love songs.

From Washington Times