scruple – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of scruple

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to scruple
Participle: scrupled
Gerund: scrupling

Cognates

-

Indicative

Present

Iscruple
youscruple
he;she;itscruples
wescruple
youscruple
theyscruple

Perfect

Ihave scrupled
youhave scrupled
he;she;ithas scrupled
wehave scrupled
youhave scrupled
theyhave scrupled

Past

Iscrupled
youscrupled
he;she;itscrupled
wescrupled
youscrupled
theyscrupled

Pluperfect

Ihad scrupled
youhad scrupled
he;she;ithad scrupled
wehad scrupled
youhad scrupled
theyhad scrupled

Future

Iwill scruple
youwill scruple
he;she;itwill scruple
wewill scruple
youwill scruple
theywill scruple

Future Perfect

Iwill have scrupled
youwill have scrupled
he;she;itwill have scrupled
wewill have scrupled
youwill have scrupled
theywill have scrupled

Subjunctive

Present

Iscruple
youscruple
he;she;itscruple
wescruple
youscruple
theyscruple

Perfect

Ihave scrupled
youhave scrupled
he;she;ithave scrupled
wehave scrupled
youhave scrupled
theyhave scrupled

Imperfect

Iscrupled
youscrupled
he;she;itscrupled
wescrupled
youscrupled
theyscrupled

Pluperfect

Ihad scrupled
youhad scrupled
he;she;ithad scrupled
wehad scrupled
youhad scrupled
theyhad scrupled

Conditional

Present

Iwould scruple
youwould scruple
he;she;itwould scruple
wewould scruple
youwould scruple
theywould scruple

Perfect

Iwould have scrupled
youwould have scrupled
he;she;itwould have scrupled
wewould have scrupled
youwould have scrupled
theywould have scrupled

Imperative

youscruple
weLet's scruple
youscruple

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

Iam scrupling
youare scrupling
he;she;itis scrupling
weare scrupling
youare scrupling
theyare scrupling

Perfect

Ihave been scrupling
youhave been scrupling
he;she;ithas been scrupling
wehave been scrupling
youhave been scrupling
theyhave been scrupling

Past

Iwas scrupling
youwere scrupling
he;she;itwas scrupling
wewere scrupling
youwere scrupling
theywere scrupling

Pluperfect

Ihad been scrupling
youhad been scrupling
he;she;ithad been scrupling
wehad been scrupling
youhad been scrupling
theyhad been scrupling

Future

Iwill be scrupling
youwill be scrupling
he;she;itwill be scrupling
wewill be scrupling
youwill be scrupling
theywill be scrupling

Future Perfect

Iwill have been scrupling
youwill have been scrupling
he;she;itwill have been scrupling
wewill have been scrupling
youwill have been scrupling
theywill have been scrupling

Conditional

Present

Iwould be scrupling
youwould be scrupling
he;she;itwould be scrupling
wewould be scrupling
youwould be scrupling
theywould be scrupling

Perfect

Iwould have been scrupling
youwould have been scrupling
he;she;itwould have been scrupling
wewould have been scrupling
youwould have been scrupling
theywould have been scrupling

Other

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

to stop or pause respecting decision or action; to be in suspense or uncertainty as to a determination
boggle, deliberate, demur, falter, hesitate, hover, mammer, stand shilly-shally, stick, waver

Additional Information

Phrasal Verbs

Etymology

From Old French scrupule, from Latin scrūpulus (“(literally) a small sharp or pointed stone; uneasiness of mind, anxiety, doubt, trouble; scruple”) and scrūpulum (“one twenty-fourth of an ounce”), diminutives of scrūpus (“a rough or sharp stone; anxiety, uneasiness”); perhaps akin to Ancient Greek σκύρος (skúros, “the chippings of stone”), from ξυρόν (xurón, “razor”), from ξύω (xúō, “to scrape”), from Proto-Indo-European *ksew-. Doublet of escropulo and escrupulo.

Sample Sentences

  • They wouldn't scruple to cheat us if given the opportunity.
  • On that day vvherein vve receive the Sacrament, vve are often over-precize, ſcrupling to ſay, or do, thoſe things vvhich lavvfully vve may. But vve, vvho are more then Curious that day, are not ſo much as Carefull the next. And too often, (vvhat ſhall I ſay) go on in ſinne, up to the Anckles, yea, our ſins 'go over our Heads. [1645, Thomas Fuller, “Mixt Contemplations”, in Good Thoughts in Bad Times, […], Exeter, Devon: […] Thomas Hunt, →OCLC, section III, pages 199–200:]
  • But the Tenderneſs, we have to deal with, is quite of another Nature, being ſuch as one as makes Men ſcruple at the Lawfulneſs of a Set Form of Divine Worship, at the Uſe of ſome Solemn Rites and Ceremonies in the Service of God; but makes them not ſtick at all at Sacrilege, which St. Paul equates to Idolatry; […] [1672, Robert South, “A True State and Account of the Plea of a Tender Conscience. In a Sermon Preach’d at Christ-Church, Oxon. before the University, in Michaelmas Term, 1672”, in Twelve Sermons upon Several Subjects and Occasions, 5th edition, volume III, London: Printed by H. Clark, for Jonah Bowyer, at the Rose, the West-End of St. Paul's Church-Yard, published 1722, →OCLC, page 206:]
  • We have the effrontery to teach Woman the doctrine that since we fail them both in quantity and quality, there is a life away from us and the children they could have from us that is worth living. We do not scruple to tell them that they can be happy, content, comfortable, without the surroundings to which they are primarily adapted. [1923, Anthony Ludovici, “The Subject Treated Generally”, in Woman; A Vindication, London: Constable, page 30:]
  • [...] it also charged the Newmarket Railway £600 a year for the management or rather—as the Chairman of the Newmarket Railway did not scruple to call it—the mismanagement of the line. [1941 December, Kenneth Brown, “The Newmarket & Chesterford Railway—II”, in Railway Magazine, page 533:]
  • It is granted indeed before that time, the Supream power was in Him [Charles I of England], and we were all his Subjects: and then perhaps ſome might Scruple to cut his throat, for there were lawes then in force against Regicides, but now ſince his Reſignation, (for ſo in our Tenents we hold this Act to be,) there is no ſcruple to be made, thoſe lawes against King-killers are ſuſpended, and he is now become as Samſon was without his ſtrength, […] [1648, Edw[ard] Symmons, “Sect. IV. 1. The Nature of Their Charge Opened. 2. Their Vilanous and Bloudy Scope therein, Clearely Evidenced, and Proved. 3. How Perfectly in Their Tenents They Hold with the Jesuites in the Points of King-killing and King-deposing, Fully Declared.”, in A Vindication of King Charles: Or, a Loyal Subjects Duty. Manifested in Vindicating His Soveraigne from those Aspersions Cast upon Him by Certaine Persons, in a Scandalous Libel, Entituled, The Kings Cabinet Opened: And Published (as They Say) by Authority of Parliament. Whereunto is Added, a True Parallel betwixt the Sufferings of Our Saviour and Our Soveraign, in Divers Particulars, &c., [London?]: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 37:]
  • As for the writings of Heathen authors, unleſſe they were plaine invectives againſt Chriſtianity, as thoſe of Porphyrius and Proclus, they met with no interdict that can be cited, till about the year 400, in a Carthaginian Councel, wherein Biſhops themſelves were forbid to read the Books of Gentiles, but Hereſies they might read: while others long before them on the contrary ſcrupl'd more the Books of Hereticks, then of Gentiles. [1644, John Milton, Areopagitica; a Speech of Mr. John Milton for the Liberty of Vnlicenc’d Printing, to the Parliament of England, London: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 7:]
  • And notwithſtanding all the clamours of their inſulting brethren, they were ſatisfied that thoſe who were moſt forward for this declaration [that it was unlawful to take arms against the king], and moſt fierce in condemning thoſe who ſcrupled it, would not keep to it, if at any time they found things were come to extremity, as the event verified. [1778, Edmund Calamy, “Introduction”, in Samuel Palmer, editor, The Nonconformist’s Memorial: Being an Account of the Ministers, who were Ejected or Silenced after the Restoration, Particularly by the Act of Uniformity, which Took Place on Bartholomew-day, Aug. 24, 1662. Containing a Concise View of Their Lives and Characters, Their Principles, Sufferings, and Printed Works, …, 2nd edition, volume I, London: Printed for Alex[ande]r Hogg, and No. 16, Pater Noster-Row, →OCLC, § 4 (The Act of Uniformity; and Reflections upon It), page 50:]
  • I do not scruple to admit that all the Earth seeth but only half of the Moon.