scruple
Definitions
A feeling of doubt or hesitation about whether something is morally right
（道德上的）顾虑，疑虑，不安
To hesitate to do something because of moral conscience (usually with a negative)
（因良心）踌躇，顾忌（常用于否定）
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedFrom Latin scrūpulus, a small sharp stone — and, by metaphor, the nagging pebble of conscience. A scruple is a doubt that pricks you, making you stop before doing something you sense is wrong.
Root scrupul still carries 5 more wordsWhy It Means This
The leap from "sharp stone" to "moral doubt" is the whole story of this root. Romans pictured conscience as a tiny pebble in the shoe: small, but impossible to ignore, slowing every step. That nagging discomfort is exactly what a scruple is — not a big crisis, just a persistent inner "is this right?"
Usage Guide
- As a noun, scruple is most often plural and paired with a negative: have no scruples, without scruple, few scruples. Positive uses ("a scruple of doubt") are rarer and literary.
- As a verb it is formal and almost always negative: "did not scruple to..." meaning "had no hesitation in." You rarely hear the affirmative "I scruple to do it."
- Don't confuse it with the weight/apothecary unit "scruple" (about 1.3 g), which is the same word but a historical measurement.
Example Sentences
- 1.
She had no scruples about reading his private letters.
- 2.
A politician without scruples will say anything to win.
- 3.
He did not scruple to take credit for her work.