This week we continue our vocabulary-building series, “The Closing Word.” Each week we provide a new word to help build your vocabulary and show you an example of how to use it.
This week’s closing word:
skulduggery
Pronounced: (skull-DUG-er-ee)
Noun:
verbal misrepresentation intended to take advantage of you in some way
From Vocabulary.com: “Skulduggery is an alteration of the Scottish word for “adultery,” sculdudrie. Lies, deceit, having a romantic relationship with someone else’s spouse? Sounds like skulduggery — or using clever words to take advantage of a situation, or person — is involved. However, skulduggery can have many other goals, from lying to potential customers about what a product can do or telling voters anything they want to hear in order to secure their votes.”
Example:
“‘Buying the listing’ is a form of skulduggery which capitalizes on a seller’s fervent wish their home is secretly more valuable than other agents realize.”