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.
ice-cold
'eiskalt' and 'skrupellos' can both describe a person who acts harshly and without consideration. 'eiskalt' mainly emphasizes that someone shows no feelings and seems very calculating. 'skrupellos' is more strongly moral: it clearly says that someone acts without a conscience and also harms others if it benefits them. An 'eiskalt' person seems emotionless; a 'skrupellos' person deliberately crosses moral boundaries. In serious situations, both can fit together, but 'skrupellos' is usually the harsher accusation.
Die Firma handelte skrupellos, weil sie trotz der Gefahr weiter billige Teile verkaufte.
The company acted unscrupulously because it continued to sell cheap parts despite the danger.
Der Chef blieb eiskalt, als die Mitarbeiter um Hilfe baten.
The boss remained ice-cold when the employees asked for help.