skulduggery: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2Formal, literary, journalistic. Often used with a slightly humorous or ironic tone despite its serious meaning.
Quick answer
What does “skulduggery” mean?
Underhanded, dishonest, or unscrupulous behaviour.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Underhanded, dishonest, or unscrupulous behaviour; trickery intended to achieve a goal by deceit.
Devious machinations or schemes, often involving cunning, secrecy, and a lack of moral principle. It implies a level of craftiness and guile beyond simple lying.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The primary spelling is 'skulduggery' in both, but 'skullduggery' is a common variant, especially in American English.
Connotations
Largely identical. May evoke a more 'old-fashioned' or literary feel in American usage.
Frequency
More frequent in UK English, but understood and used in US English, particularly in formal writing.
Grammar
How to Use “skulduggery” in a Sentence
[verb] + skulduggery (e.g., investigate, uncover, suspect)skulduggery + [prep.] + [noun] (e.g., skulduggery in the boardroom)[adjective] + skulduggery (e.g., political, financial)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “skulduggery” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The term is not used as a verb. One might 'skulk' or 'scheme' instead.
American English
- The term is not used as a verb. One might 'skulk' or 'scheme' instead.
adverb
British English
- No standard adverb form exists.
American English
- No standard adverb form exists.
adjective
British English
- The adjectival form is not standard. Use 'underhand', 'devious', or 'skulduggerous' (very rare/humorous).
American English
- The adjectival form is not standard. Use 'underhanded', 'devious', or 'skulduggerous' (very rare/humorous).
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to unethical business practices, insider trading, or fraudulent accounting.
Academic
Rare in hard sciences; used in political science, history, or law to describe corrupt machinations.
Everyday
Used humorously or sarcastically to describe minor deceit among friends or family (e.g., 'I suspect some skulduggery with the cookie jar').
Technical
Not a technical term in any major field.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “skulduggery”
- Misspelling: 'skullduggery', 'sculduggery'.
- Using it for violent crime (it's about cunning, not violence).
- Using it as a countable noun (usually uncountable: 'some skulduggery', not 'a skulduggery').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is formal or literary, though it can be used humorously in informal contexts.
It typically refers to activity or behaviour (uncountable), not a single countable act. You have 'some skulduggery' or 'a lot of skulduggery'.
It is an alteration of the Scottish word 'sculduddery', meaning obscenity or lewdness, which later shifted in meaning to dishonesty.
No, there is no standard verb form. Use verbs like 'scheme', 'plot', or 'deceive' instead.
Underhanded, dishonest, or unscrupulous behaviour.
Skulduggery: in British English it is pronounced /ˌskʌlˈdʌɡəri/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌskəlˈdəɡəri/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[Not strongly idiomatic; the word itself is used in idiomatic phrases like 'a bit of skulduggery']”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a SKULL (symbolising secret, sneaky thoughts) DUGging a hidden tunnel to carry out its GERRYmandering (a type of political trickery) = SKULL-DUG-GERY.
Conceptual Metaphor
DECEPTION IS A DARK/UNDERGROUND ACTIVITY (skulking, digging).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'skulduggery' LEAST likely to be used appropriately?