Kane is an incredibly wealthy man, a press baron with few qualms about journalism, acquiring immense power, only to see it disappear towards the end of his life. The idea of scruples has to do with ethics and morality: what is right and what is wrong? If you had no scruples, you would simply kill, steal and God knows what else to do. Scruples are a kind of moral compass that lets you know what`s right. Often people use this word indignantly when someone does something wrong: „Don`t you have any scruples?” Liars, thieves, criminals and politicians have fewer scruples than the rest of us. The most common nominal meaning of „scruples”, definition 1, appears much more often in the plural than in the singular. „Unlike this shark, I have scruples!” „I had no qualms and stuffed as much money into my backpack as I needed.” However, it is by no means wrong to use „scruples” in the singular: the plural form „scruples” can be used without elaboration, „He has no scruples”, just as one can say „He lacks morality”. These are statements about someone`s character, not about a particular doubt about the commission of a particular act. Having scruples is like having a conscience: your morality or scruples push you to act as you see fit. Definition: refraining from doing so for ethical or moral reasons; have scruples. Example: Norris had done absolutely nothing, which could also be implicitly interpreted as dereliction of duty; but it was enough that he should be hated by Leicester, who had not hesitated to denounce this first general of England as a fool, a coward, a boy and a liar. (John Lothrop Motley – History of the United Netherlands from the Death of William the Silent to the Twelve Years` Truce — Complete (1584-1609)) Definition 1: moral or ethical consideration or doubt that causes discomfort, hesitation or reluctance; Example: The man had no qualms and didn`t think twice before tricking the old couple into their savings. Definition 2: Pharmacist`s unit of weight equal to twenty grains or 1,296 grams.
Definition 3: a tiny part or quantity. Torment, scruples, conscience, restraint mean a misunderstanding of what you are doing or will do. Here, he growled, have you been told that you have any qualms about telling me how many gates of Kashmir defend the gate of Kashmir? He acquired it unscrupulously and was soon accompanied by a group of travelers who went to Marhala. Little Larkins had told everything, and his father had no qualms about repeating it and conducting the investigation. Obedience involves a spontaneous sense of responsibility or compassion for a potential victim. Demur implies hesitation caused by an objection to an outside proposal or influence. He had qualms about introducing a secular instrument into sacred space. Middle English scripil, scrupill, from Anglo-French scruble, from Latin scrupulus, diminutive of scrupus Source of discomfort, literally, sharp stone Although they looked at each other with a mortal aversion, though neither of them had any qualms about persecuting the other, they had much in common. Scruples involve doubts about the correctness of an action for reasons of principle.
Not a single scruple prevents me from repeating that I consider him a bold and daring fraudster. When he sometimes comes across a perfectly clear and irrefutable commandment, Donald has no qualms about ignoring it. Smoke implies an uncomfortable fear that one will not follow one`s conscience or better judgment. This was no mercy scruple, for Hiccup was as cold as ever a rifle barrel. And while it may have been more common in the past in phrases like „unscrupulous” and „unscrupulous,” it`s still acceptable to use „scruples” as an uncountable noun, as if it were a substitute for „conscience” or „opposition”: it displayed a strong mix of religious scruples, prudery, and racial pride.