Make Your Point > Archived Issues > SCRUPLE

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explore the archives: Mark Twain called a troubled conscience "a hair in the mouth," and Cicero (probably) called it a pebble in the shoe. A scruple, from the Latin word for "pebble," is a bothersome little twinge of moral doubt that makes you hesitate before you act, wondering whether you're doing the right thing. So a scruple is, metaphorically, a sharp little rock poking you. And what's the word for a (metaphorical) sharp stick poking you along? (It starts with "g" and has 4 letters.) make your point with... "SCRUPLE" A scruple is a small, worrisome, guilty thought about whether or not something you're doing (or already did, or plan to do) is morally right. Pronunciation: SKROOP ull Part of speech: Countable noun. (Countable nouns, like "bottle," "piece," and "decision," are words for things that can be broken into exact units. You talk about "a bottle," "three pieces," and "many decisions." Likewise, talk about one scruple or multiple scruples.) Other forms: Scruples; scrupulous ("SKROO pyoo luss"), scrupulously, & scrupulousness; unscrupulous, unscrupulously, & unscrupulousness. How to use it: Because a scruple is a small, quick thought, we often talk about them in the plural: you do something with scruples, you're simply a person with scruples, or even more simply, you have scruples (more than one worrisome little guilty twinge). You can have scruples in doing something ("they have no scruples in lying under oath") or have scruples about (doing) something ("to be troubled with few scruples about their petty theft," "to have no scruples about stealing from the collection plate"). And as those examples suggest, we mostly use this word in a negative sense ("I can't believe he has no scruples about doing that," "It's a shame how they have zero scruples," "Jeez, she does that without the slightest scruple?"). Let's go ahead and consider the adjective and its opposite, too. The scrupulous person is very careful to do every little thing in a morally correct way, and scrupulous things (like scrupulous attention, scrupulous honesty, or scrupulous respect) are done, felt, or expressed in an extremely careful way. And of course, unscrupulous people and things aren't bothered (or influenced) at all by a single scruple, or pang of guilt. examples: Because she had no scruples about recommending expensive, unnecessary procedures, I found a new dentist. I love how Bobby would make announcements over the speaker with scrupulous accuracy: "Attention customers, the store will be closing in approximately four and a half minutes." study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "scruple" means when you can explain it without saying "twinge of conscience" or "pang of guilt." try it out: Think of a shady business practice or any other sneaky, lowdown move. Fill in the blanks: "Unscrupulous (types of people or groups) try to _____." Example: "Unscrupulous travel booking sites try to tack on fees for totally made-up services." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. This month, we're playing with KWIKORD, an addictive, challenging new word game for solo or group play, created by Wayne Ellice.  We're dipping our toes into the game this month, trying some simple challenges first and working our way toward harder tasks. (Check out my interview with the game's creator here, and order your own copy of the full version of KWIKORD here.) You'll see a sample answer to each puzzle the following day. Enjoy! Yesterday, you took the letters MTYAEO and arranged them into words to completely fill a 3x3 grid. Many solutions were possible. Here are two: Try that again today with the letters STWAEO. Draw a tic-tac-toe board on some scrap paper and go for it! review today's word: 1. The opposite of SCRUPLE is A. EASY STREET B. SMOOTH SAILING C. CLEAR CONSCIENCE 2. He revised the article with scrupulous _____. A. exactitude B. disregard for objectivity C. but vague condemnations of the police involved Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. A