Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

scruple

/ˈskɹupəl/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.89 in modern English

Syllables
scru-ple
IPA
/ˈskɹupəl/
11
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A weight of ¹⁄₂₈₈ of a pound, that is, twenty grains or one third of a dram, about 1.3 grams (symbol: ℈).

noun

A Hebrew unit of time equal to ¹⁄₁₀₈₀ hour.

noun

A very small quantity; a particle.

Obsolete

verb

To hesitate or be reluctant to act due to considerations of conscience or expedience.

Intransitive verb

verb

To excite scruples in; to cause to scruple.

Intransitive verb

verb

To regard with suspicion; to question.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Old French scrupule, from Latin scrūpulus (“(literally) a small sharp or pointed stone; uneasiness of mind, anxiety, doubt, trouble; scruple”) and scrūpulum (“one twenty-fourth of an ounce”), diminutives of scrūpus (“a rough or sharp stone; anxiety, uneasiness”); perhaps akin to Ancient Greek σκύρος (skúros, “the chippings of stone”), from ξυρόν (xurón, “razor”), from ξύω (xúō, “to scrape”), from Proto-Indo-European *ksew-. Doublet of escropulo and escrupulo.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *(s)ker- (cut), scrupule, scrūpulus, σκύρος, *ksew-

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈskɹupəl/
  • British English: /ˈskɹuːpəl/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce scruple?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈskɹupəl/.
What does scruple mean?
Hesitation to act from the difficulty of determining what is right or expedient; doubt, hesitation or unwillingness due to motives of conscience; moral qualm.
Where does scruple come from?
It is traced to Old French.

How to pronounce scruple

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “scruple”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈskɹupəl/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “scruple”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “scruple” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.