What does scrupled mean?
Scrupled is the past tense and past participle of the verb “scruple,” meaning to hesitate before doing something because of a moral, religious, or ethical objection. It commonly appears in the pattern “scrupled to do something,” as in “She scrupled to accept the questionable offer.” The word suggests more than ordinary uncertainty: the hesitation arises from a considered principle or a strong sense of propriety. In the second sense, “scrupled” can mean “had ethical or religious doubts,” usually when discussing whether an action was acceptable. Although the verb is used in standard British and American English, it has a relatively formal register and is less common in everyday speech than expressions such as “hesitated” or “objected.” Its underlying idea is one of careful moral scrutiny rather than simple fear or indecision.
verbHesitated or refused to do something because of a moral or ethical objection. In the past tense, it describes an instance of feeling such an objection.
- To hesitate or refuse to act because of a moral or ethical objection.
- To have or express a scruple, especially a religious or ethical one.
"She scrupled to accept a gift that might have influenced her judgment."
"He scrupled to sign the document without reading it first."
"The publisher scrupled to reproduce the letter without the author's permission."
To scruple originally meant to examine something small, piece by piece; its modern sense grew from inspecting conduct with a scrutinizing eye.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does scrupled come from?
The verb derives from “scruple,” which comes from the Latin “scrupulus,” meaning a small stone or fragment. The word originally referred to small pieces of material, especially small pieces of coin, before developing the sense of something that causes hesitation or careful examination. Its modern ethical sense arose by association with examining moral conduct in detail. “Scrupulous” developed from the same Latin source and likewise expresses careful, conscientious judgment.
Related word forms
How scrupled is actually used
The verb is relatively formal and is most often used in the construction “scruple to” followed by an infinitive. It is the past tense and past participle of “scruple.”