Scabrous Related Indecent Latin Adj Scabby Blotchy Scaly

Although scabrous carries all three meanings listed above, it’s

often used to describe indecent, risqué, and obscene language and behavior. For example: “The intimate details of the late celebrity’s scabrous diary shocked his family and ignited a scandal.” Synonyms and related words for this sense of scabrous include salacious, libidinous, and lascivious. 

Scabrous originally came from the Latin adjective scaber, meaning “rough, scaly”; this word, in turn, was related to the Latin verb scabo, meaning “to scratch or scrape.” Not surprisingly, scabrous is also related to scab and scabies.