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

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

“Where I’m From” and “From Tha Gods to Earth” are scabrous and violent, usually getting their licks in less than two minutes.

From Los Angeles Times

He was primarily known for unleashing that arsenal in scabrously witty and linguistically daring novels, but he was also an essayist, memoirist and critic of the first rank.

From New York Times

“The Jung Generation” focuses on William Edward Hickman, “a handsome, curly-haired boy who looked more like a college sophomore than a murderer,” who came to Los Angeles and committed “the most scabrous crime of 1927.”

From Los Angeles Times