unscrupulous
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unscrupulous
Acting without moral reservations or conscience; ruthless and unscrupulous.
Der skrupellose Geschäftsmann betrog seine Partner, um seinen Gewinn zu maximieren.
The unscrupulous businessman cheated his partners in order to maximize his profit.
The word consists of the noun 'der Skrupel' (moral reservation, scruple) and the ending '-los' (without). So 'skrupellos' (unscrupulous) literally means 'ohne Skrupel' (without scruples) or 'ohne Gewissen' (without a conscience).
Er hat keine Skrupel, seine Konkurrenten auszunutzen.
He has no scruples about taking advantage of his competitors.
'Skrupellos' (unscrupulous / unscrupulously) can also be used as an adverb to describe how an action is carried out. The form of the word does not change.
Sie hat ihre Ziele skrupellos verfolgt, ohne auf andere Rücksicht zu nehmen.
She pursued her goals unscrupulously, without considering others.
The adjective often describes people or their actions with a negative connotation. Typical combinations are 'ein skrupelloser Betrüger' (an unscrupulous fraudster), 'skrupellose Gier' (unscrupulous greed), or 'ein skrupelloses Vorgehen' (an unscrupulous approach).
Die Presse deckte das skrupellose Vorgehen des Konzerns auf.
The press exposed the corporation's unscrupulous approach.
ruthless / inconsiderate
Rücksichtslos and skrupellos both describe behavior that can deliberately harm others. Rücksichtslos highlights the specific disregard for their needs, rights, or safety, while skrupellos emphasizes the absence of moral doubt or a guilty conscience. Choose rücksichtslos when focusing on the effect on others and skrupellos when focusing on a lack of moral restraints.
Der Betrüger handelte skrupellos und zeigte trotz des Schadens kein schlechtes Gewissen.
The fraudster acted unscrupulously and showed no remorse despite the harm caused.
Der Unternehmer entließ rücksichtslos viele Menschen, ohne ihre Lage zu berücksichtigen.
The entrepreneur ruthlessly laid off many people without considering their situation.
