scandal

A publicized incident that brings about disgrace or offends the moral sensibilities of society.

A person, thing, or circumstance that causes or ought to cause disgrace or outrage.

Damage to reputation or character caused by public disclosure of immoral or grossly improper behavior; disgrace.

Talk that is damaging to one’s character; malicious gossip.

To throw scandal on; defame; asperse; traduce.

To scandalize; offend; shock.

Offense caused by faults or misdeeds; reproach or reprobation called forth by what is considered wrong; opprobrium; shame; disgrace.

Reproachful aspersion; defamatory speech or report; something uttered which is injurious to reputation; defamatory talk; malicious gossip.

In law: A report, rumor, or action whereby one is affronted in public.

An irrelevant and defamatory or indecent statement introduced into a pleading or proceeding; any allegation or statement which is unbecoming the dignity of the court to hear, or is contrary to good manners, or which unnecessarily either charges a person with a crime or bears cruelly on his moral character.