scuzzball

/ˈskʌzbɔl/

//ˈskʌzbɔl// noun

"scuzzball" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“scuzzball” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Someone who does nasty things or plays harmful tricks; a person of very low ethics; a lowlife.

Corpus desk

Index EN-scuzzball · scuzzball · English

scuzzball · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "S" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for scuzzball
PropertyValue
Headwordscuzzball
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈskʌzbɔl/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “scuzzball” in English

scuzzballsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

scuzzball is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈskʌzbɔl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Someone who does nasty things or plays harmful tricks; a person of very low ethics; a lowlife.".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for scuzzball, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct English form is scuzzball, spelled S-C-U-Z-Z-B-A-L-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Someone who does nasty things or plays harmful tricks; a person of very low ethics; a lowlife.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how scuzzball appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Of course, if you're a sneaky, manipulative scuzzball, then maybe you don't want your boss to know you very well.
  2. Was she really in bed with Marlucci and a sorry scuzzball like Snyder? What was her angle, other than money?

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "scuzzball"?
"scuzzball" is spelled S-C-U-Z-Z-B-A-L-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈskʌzbɔl/.
What does "scuzzball" mean?
As a noun, "scuzzball" means: Someone who does nasty things or plays harmful tricks; a person of very low ethics; a lowlife.
How do you pronounce "scuzzball"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "scuzzball" is /ˈskʌzbɔl/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "scuzzball" come from?
"scuzzball" is a English word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list