skulduggerous

English

Etymology

From skulduggery +‎ -ous.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /skʌlˈdʌɡəɹəs/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌskʌlˈdʌɡəɹəs/, /ˌskəlˈdəɡ-/
• Hyphenation: skul‧dug‧ger‧ous

Adjective

skulduggerous (comparative more skulduggerous, superlative most skulduggerous)

1. (rare) Involving skulduggery; tricky, underhand.
   • 2010 [1997], Stephen Greenleaf, Past Tense, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 47:

     You feel slimy and skulduggerous. You feel nervous that they'll return unexpectedly and catch you at something nefarious, even if the someone is in jail.

   • 2015, Ian Fraser, Shredded: Inside RBS: The Bank that Broke Britain, Birlinn, →ISBN:

     A number of skulduggerous means were used, including hoarding its rival's banknotes.

   • 2022, China Miéville, chapter 2, in A Spectre, Haunting: On the Communist Manifesto, →OCLC:

     In their hopes of overthrowing an unjust society, many of these groups held to romantic models of secret conspiratorial organisations. This skulduggerous, dashing lineage was reflected in the elusive, allusive poetry of some of their names: the Society of the Families; the Society of Seasons; the Leage of the Proscribed.

Alternative forms

• skullduggerous

Translations

involving skulduggery — see tricky,‎ underhand