scandal

Universal Words noun 1 [C,U] behaviour or an event that people think is morally or legally wrong and causes public feelings of shock or anger: a series of sex scandals * to cause / create a scandal * The scandal broke (= became known to the public) in 1998. * There has been no hint of scandal during his time in office. * a promising career wrecked by scandal 2 [U] talk or reports about the shocking or immoral things that people have done or are thought to have done: to spread scandal * newspapers full of scandal 3 [sing.] ~ (that...) an action, attitude, etc. that you think is shocking and not at all acceptable: It is a scandal that such a large town has no orchestra.