scurrilous

/ˈskʌ.ɹə.ləs/

//ˈskʌ.ɹə.ləs// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"scurrilous" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“scurrilous” is uncommon English (frequency #69,431 among 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#69,431
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Given to vulgar verbal abuse; foul-mouthed.

Key facts for scurrilous
PropertyValue
Headwordscurrilous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈskʌ.ɹə.ləs/
Letters10
Frequency rank#69,431
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “scurrilous” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). scurrilous lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

scurrilous is uncommon English at frequency #69,431 among 54,294 “S” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈskʌ.ɹə.ləs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for scurrilous in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin scurrīlis (“buffoon-like”) + -ous, from scurra (“a buffoon”). The correct English form is scurrilous, spelled S-C-U-R-R-I-L-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Given to vulgar verbal abuse; foul-mouthed.
  2. 2
    Coarse, vulgar, or abusive.
  3. 3
    Slanderous.
  4. 4
    Gross, vulgar.
  5. 5
    Unscrupulous, evil.

Etymology

From Latin scurrīlis (“buffoon-like”) + -ous, from scurra (“a buffoon”).

This word in other languages

ordinär(Deutsch)obsceno(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "scurrilous"?
"scurrilous" is spelled S-C-U-R-R-I-L-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈskʌ.ɹə.ləs/.
What does "scurrilous" mean?
As an adjective, "scurrilous" means: Given to vulgar verbal abuse; foul-mouthed.
How do you pronounce "scurrilous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "scurrilous" is /ˈskʌ.ɹə.ləs/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "scurrilous"?
From Latin scurrīlis (“buffoon-like”) + -ous, from scurra (“a buffoon”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “scurrilous”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is S-C-U-R-R-I-L-O-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈskʌ.ɹə.ləs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list