614 Negative Words That Begin With The Letter “S”

Slimy, Sneaky, Suffocating

I am super stoked to talk about negative words that start with S. There are so many great ones! We have listed 614 of the best.

Whether you are preparing a presentation, writing an essay, or putting together a report, it’s important to have the right words at hand to be able to express yourself correctly.

When you have the right words at hand you feel more confident.

The letter S is home to some of the most diabolical words in the English language. It is not surprising that in the Harry Potter book series, J.K. Rowling chose the Hogwarts House, Slytherin, to portray the dark side.

When Harry sits with the Sorting Hat on his head, he hopes that he will be placed anywhere but in Slytherin. The word suggests the movement of a snake - a longtime symbol of evil.

The colors of Slytherin House are green and yellow, colors of a snake. This House represents cunning, and the people who are members of Slytherin will go to any length to achieve their goals.

The bad guys of Harry Potter belong to Slytherin. Voldemort was a member when he attended Hogwarts.

The word, sly, which is the first three letters of Slytherin, suggests the cunning of its members.

This is just one example of many more negative S words to come.

Negative Words That Start With S To Describe A Person Or A Thing

When you have the right word to describe people or things, you have confidence that you can express yourself accurately.

Words are powerful, and you want to get them right so that you do not risk being misunderstood.

The list of negative S words that follows gives you many great words to add to your vocabulary.

Let’s take a closer look at a few. We’ll begin with “spurious”. This word may be used for both things and people.

This word simply means false or fake. One of Donald Trump’s famous phrases was “fake news”. He could have used the word spurious instead, and said, spurious news.

I used to know someone from school who would often say things that seemed unlikely to be true. Her stories had a spurious quality to them that made them hard to believe.

“Sinister” is another negative descriptive word beginning with S. Sinister may be likened to evil. There is a sense of doom associated with the word.

Many thriller movies have a character who has a sinister voice, and when they speak you always expect that something awful is going to happen.

A third word in this category is “scandalous”. Actions which call into question the morals or someone are considered scandalous.

This causes outrage among the public. Someone who is in the public eye who commits fraud, or adultery may be said to have acted in a scandalous manner.

Scandalous things may be written as well, and created like a piece of art. For example, a scandalous statue.

Negative Words That Start With S To Describe Person Or Thing

1. "Sociopath"

2. "Stupid"

3. "Shady"

4. "Stubborn"

5. "Sinister"

6. "Sneering"

7. "Savage"

8. "Selfish"

9. "Snobbish"

10. "Scornful"

11. "Slothful"

12. "Sneaky"

13. "Suspicious"

14. "Severe"

15. "Sadistic"

16. "Spiteful"

17. "Scathing"

18. "Shallow"

19. "Scandalous"

20. "Sordid"

21. "Skeptical"

22. "Sullen"

23. "Smug"

24. "Self-centered"

25. "Senseless"

26. "Sour"

27. "Subversive"

28. "Scheming"

29. "Sadness"

30. "Shameful"

31. "Seedy"

32. "Self-centeredness"

33. "Self-absorbed"

34. "Supercilious"

35. "Seething"

36. "Sensitive"

37. "Satanic"

38. "Shallow-minded"

39. "Screeching"

40. "Strident"

41. "Scolding"

42. "Scared"

43. "Stern"

44. "Silly"

45. "Self-indulgent"

46. "Secluded"

47. "Sloppy"

48. "Secrecy"

49. "Soulless"

50. "Skepticalness"

51. "Scapegoat"

52. "Spoiled"

53. "Straying"

54. "Strife"

55. "Short-tempered"

56. "Shifty"

57. "Snide"

58. "Stealthy"

59. "Scattered"

60. "Sardonic"

61. "Snippy"

62. "Smarmy"

63. "Squandering"

64. "Scratchy"

65. "Spurious"

66. "Snarky"

67. "Scuzzy"

68. "Scummy"

69. "Snappy"

70. "Scanty"

71. "Scabby"

72. "Self-contradictory"

73. "Scrounging"

74. "Self-conceited"

75. "Scrappy"

76. "Self-righteous"

77. "Second-class"

78. "Self-aggrandizing"

79. "Scrawny"

80. "Sloppiness"

81. "Second-rate"

82. "Silliness"

83. "Self-important"

84. "Senselessness"

85. "Self-destructive"

86. "Social-climbing"

87. "Self-serving"

88. "Solemnity"

89. "Smothering"

90. "Sparseness"

91. "Sluggishness"

92. "Snobbery"

93. "Sophistication"

94. "Sneakiness"

95. "Spontaneity"

96. "Somberness"

97. "Spitefulness"

98. "Stiltedness"

99. "Solicitousness"

100. "Stereotyping"

RELATED: 108 Positive Words That Begin With The Letter “Z”

Negative Adjectives That Begin With S

Adjectives are very important in language because they provide information about people, places, and things, grammatically known as nouns.

Without adjectives we wouldn’t know what color something is, its size, or even what a person looks like.

Let me introduce you to a couple of negative descriptive S words that you can add to your wordbank.

I’ll begin with the word, sanctimonious. This adjective refers to a person’s speech and/or behavior.

A sanctimonious person is someone who lets on they are very moral, but in actual fact they are not. In other words, they don’t practice what they preach.

For example, a person at work may talk all the time about how he always puts his family first, but then he takes off for a whole week, and leaves his family on their own to fend for themselves.

“Subservient" is another good negative S adjective to know. A clue to its meaning is in the first part of the word, or the prefix, “sub”. Sub means under.

Subservient means a person is prepared to wait on others and obey them without question. They are ‘under’ the individual’s authority and control.

This person views themselves as less important than others.

Sadly, there are still cultures today where it is expected that women will be subservient to men.

Negative Adjectives That Start With S

101. "Scant"

102. "Splintered"

103. "Smelly"

104. "Sick"

105. "Stagnant"

106. "Shabbiest"

107. "Subordinate"

108. "Sham"

109. "Sanctimonious"

110. "Scary"

111. "Salty"

112. "Submissive"

113. "Stilted"

114. "Stranded"

115. "Sickly"

116. "Sluggish"

117. "Sidelined"

118. "Sickening"

119. "Spattered"

120. "Straggly"

121. "Scraggly"

122. "Saddened"

123. "Stale"

124. "Snooty"

125. "Stingy"

126. "Sickened"

127. "Stressful"

128. "Sad"

129. "Spastic"

130. "Sole"

131. "Seditious"

132. "Sore"

133. "Sarcastic"

134. "Snoring"

135. "Scaly"

136. "Scorching"

137. "Stinging"

138. "Screaming"

139. "Stuttering"

140. "Squirrelly"

141. "Shrieking"

142. "Sassy"

143. "Sketchy"

144. "Scalding"

145. "Skittish"

146. "Stunned"

147. "Sorry"

148. "Stumbling"

149. "Stubby"

150. "Subservient"

151. "Slimy"

152. "Snarling"

153. "Smoggy"

154. "Scratched"

155. "Scarred"

156. "Stiff"

157. "Strict"

158. "Stereotyped"

159. "Shrill"

160. "Showy"

161. "Soggy"

162. "Smudged"

163. "Spasmodic"

164. "Sparse"

165. "Shabbier"

166. "Scruffy"

167. "Subdued"

168. "Spineless"

169. "Slow"

170. "Stark"

171. "Scamp"

172. "Sheepish"

173. "Shabby"

174. "Splattered"

Negative Adverbs That Begin With S

Adverbs give information about how you did something, when it happened, where it occurred, why it did, the conditions it happened under, and to what degree.

In other words, adverbs are extremely important because they provide us with important details.

The negative S adverb, sarcastically, ends in “ly” which is the typical ending of an adverb.

It means saying or doing something intended to make fun of someone in a nasty way by saying something that you actually mean the opposite of.

Let me give you an example. A teacher who is fed up with their class and their inattention, says sarcastically to the students, “You are all going to do so well in this class because you listen and work so hard.”

She really means that the students will not do well because they do not listen and work hard.

The sarcasm is only effective if the person on the receiving end understands that the person is not being truthful, and the words have been spoken sarcastically.

I know I have had teachers who have addressed the class and certain individuals sarcastically. It can be very belittling, and make people feel stupid, and inadequate.

We need to be very careful about speaking sarcastically because it can have very real damaging effects on an individual’s self-esteem.

Sarcasm should not be used by teachers toward students as they are impressionable and vulnerable. Some serious damage can be done that can be very hard to undo.

Adverbs That Starts With Letter S

175. "Superhumanly"

176. "Suprapubically"

177. "Superdiffusively"

178. "Sureaseggs"

179. "Supermassively"

180. "Sureenough"

181. "Supercautiously"

182. "Surlily"

183. "Superfluously"

184. "Supposedly"

185. "Surprisedly"

186. "Sure-handedly"

187. "Supererogatorily"

188. "Supersonically"

189. "Suspensely"

190. "Sweatily"

191. "Supinely"

192. "Supraliminally"

193. "Swankily"

194. "Supplementarily"

195. "Swithe"

196. "Superpositionally"

197. "Sveltely"

198. "Swingeingly"

199. "Suspectingly"

200. "Swooningly"

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201. "Sustainably"

202. "Swelteringly"

203. "Syllogistically"

204. "Surreally"

205. "Swythe"

206. "Sweetishly"

207. "Sacerdotally"

208. "Symphonically"

209. "Synkinetically"

210. "Syntagmatically"

211. "Saddeningly"

212. "Sagaciously"

213. "Symmetrically"

214. "Syne"

215. "Systematically"

216. "Symptomatically"

217. "Sadistically"

218. "Synonymously"

219. "Sympathizingly"

220. "Salutarily"

221. "Sacrificially"

222. "Synchronistically"

223. "Salvationally"

224. "Saltily"

225. "Sanctifyingly"

226. "Satanically"

227. "Saleably"

228. "Schematically"

229. "Scaringly"

230. "Scientifically"

231. "Scorchingly"

232. "Scenically"

233. "Schizophrenically"

234. "Schoolishly"

235. "Scabrously"

236. "Scholastically"

237. "Saucily"

238. "Scamblingly"

239. "Sciolto"

240. "Scarfwise"

241. "Savorily"

242. "Scintillantly"

243. "Scruffily"

244. "Satisfyingly"

245. "Scarce"

246. "Searingly"

247. "Secretively"

248. "Scandalously"

249. "Sedentarily"

250. "Screechingly"

251. "Secondhandedly"

252. "Scuzzily"

253. "Scrappily"

254. "Securitywise"

255. "Secondarily"

256. "Selfconsistently"

257. "Semiactively"

258. "Seemly"

259. "Selden"

260. "Self-confidently"

261. "Semidefinitely"

262. "Semantically"

263. "Seelily"

264. "Semiapologetically"

265. "Selectedly"

266. "Self-righteously"

267. "Segregationally"

268. "Seminally"

269. "Selfishly"

270. "Sensually"

271. "Semi-weekly"

272. "Sepulchrally"

273. "Semiologically"

274. "Septennially"

275. "Sensorially"

276. "Separably"

277. "Semisynthetically"

278. "Sensibly"

279. "Serendipitously"

280. "Sermonically"

281. "Semisecretly"

282. "Sentiently"

283. "Sence"

284. "Scowlingly"

285. "Scufflingly"

286. "Sectorally"

287. "Shamelessly"

288. "Sedulously"

289. "Seaward"

290. "Sexily"

291. "Seriatim"

292. "Seventeenthly"

293. "Shambolically"

294. "Shadelessly"

295. "Shatteringly"

296. "Set-theoretically"

297. "Shakingly"

298. "Sextuply"

299. "Shaggily"

300. "Severally"

301. "Sharkishly"

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Negative S Words That Are Sad And Depressing

No one is a stranger to feelings of sadness and depression, but there are things you can do to work through these feelings, and move forward positively.

A key step to dealing with sadness and depression is recognizing where it is coming from. Talking to someone can be very helpful.

When we talk to someone, we give voice to our thoughts, and through this process it can become clear why we are feeling these negative emotions.

The source of sadness and depression can be any number of things. Let’s look at S words that may be reasons for feeling sad and depressed.

The word, solitude, means being alone. Solitude can be seen as a positive, a break from the crazy business of a person’s life, a few moments of peace and quiet just for yourself, but it can also be a negative.

When a person spends too much time by themselves, they can feel lonely. Loneliness is common in our society, even amongst all the people and all the activity.

When a person suffers from loneliness, they can easily become sad and depressed.

It is important that a person who is living in solitude, and is experiencing negative emotions talk to a medical practitioner. Help is available.

Shame can be another powerful source of sadness and depression. Embarrassment about something you said or did may bother you to such a degree that you become depressed.

Many people suffer from feelings of shame for things that were in no way their fault. For example, people who have been mistreated in a relationship may feel guilt and shame because they think their actions and their words made the other person act in a negative way.

They might feel shame about having stayed in the relationship, and subjecting their children to an environment of emotional and/or physical abuse.

Shame is often misplaced. Talking to a professional can help a person to see that they do not need to feel shame, and this can help them mend and move forward in their life.

Sad & Depressing Words Starting With Letter S

302. "Solitude"

303. "Stifling"

304. "Shame"

305. "Silence"

306. "Self-loathing"

307. "Sorrow"

308. "Sarcasm"

309. "Strain"

310. "Self-doubt"

311. "Suffering"

312. "Sombre"

313. "Self-pity"

314. "Suppression"

315. "Subduedness"

316. "Skepticism"

317. "Seclusion"

318. "Supplication"

319. "Scepticism"

320. "Submission"

321. "Surliness"

322. "Soullessness"

323. "Sullenness"

324. "Subjugation"

325. "Stress"

326. "Stalemate"

327. "Sorrowfulness"

328. "Separation"

329. "Swooning"

330. "Squandered"

331. "Subterfuge"

332. "Squalor"

333. "Submissiveness"

334. "Stupefaction"

335. "Swamped"

336. "Stolidity"

337. "Stagnation"

338. "Sapped"

339. "Surrender"

340. "Scornfulness"

341. "Struggling"

342. "Sated"

343. "Saturated"

344. "Self-contempt"

345. "Scathingness"

346. "Stricken"

347. "Self-disparagement"

348. "Stalled"

349. "Self-disgust"

350. "Satiated"

351. "Self-hatred"

352. "Self-reproving"

353. "Self-reproach"

354. "Self-criticism"

355. "Self-blame"

356. "Self-reproachfulness"

357. "Self-reprimand"

358. "Self-reviling"

359. "Self-reproachful"

360. "Self-punishment"

361. "Self-censure"

362. "Self-revulsion"

363. "Self-condemnation"

364. "Self-starvation"

365. "Self-mutilation"

366. "Self-neglect"

367. "Self-flagellation"

368. "Self-effacingness"

369. "Self-immolation"

370. "Self-injury"

371. "Self-debasement"

372. "Self-denial"

373. "Self-defeating"

374. "Self-abnegation"

375. "Self-destructiveness"

376. "Self-abuse"

377. "Self-effacing"

378. "Self-torment"

379. "Self-sacrifice"

380. "Self-contained"

381. "Self-command"

382. "Self-deprivation"

383. "Self-isolation"

384. "Self-obliteration"

385. "Self-diminishing"

386. "Self-restraint"

387. "Self-effort"

388. "Self-effacement"

389. "Self-discipline"

390. "Self-sufficiency"

391. "Self-annihilation"

392. "Self-reliance"

393. "Self-control"

394. "Self-erasure"

395. "Self-imposed"

396. "Selflessness"

397. "Self-regulation"

RELATED: 830 Positive Words That Begin With The Letter “S”

Unusual Negative S Words

Taking some time to learn some unusual words, those words we don’t hear all the time, can do a lot to bump up our communication game.

The letter S has some interesting options for unusual words. Let’s take a closer look at one of them, swasivious.

Have you ever heard of the phrase, you get more bees with honey? In a nutshell, that is what being swasivious is all about.

At the heart of being swacivious is the desire to manipulate someone in order to get what you want.

Instead of being nasty with a person and yelling at them about what you want them to do, you can persuade them with warmth and admiration.

Try paying the person a compliment in regard to their knowledge and skill, and then gently guide them to agree with your request.

You may become an expert in swasiviousness!

Unusual Words Starting With Letter S

398. "Sustentacular"

399. "Surnominal"

400. "Suscipient"

401. "Suspiration"

402. "Susurrus"

403. "Surplice"

404. "Sutile"

405. "Suscept"

406. "Susurrate"

407. "Surquedry"

408. "Suspercollate"

409. "Sustentative"

410. "Sussultatory"

411. "Surrey"

412. "Swallet"

413. "Suscitate"

414. "Swage"

415. "Sward"

416. "Sutor"

417. "Swarf"

418. "Swag"

419. "Swape"

420. "Sutler"

421. "Svedberg"

422. "Swanskin"

423. "Swale"

424. "Sutorian"

425. "Swissing"

426. "Sybaritic"

427. "Swansdown"

428. "Swoopstake"

429. "Swingometer"

430. "Sybil"

431. "Swipple"

432. "Swive"

433. "Swasivious"

434. "Sycosis"

435. "Syllepsis"

436. "Swink"

437. "Sweven"

438. "Swith"

439. "Sylph"

440. "Sycomancy"

441. "Sylvestral"

442. "Syllabatim"

443. "Sylvatic"

444. "Sybilline"

445. "Syllogism"

446. "Syllabub"

447. "Symmachy"

448. "Sybotic"

449. "Symphilism"

450. "Symbology"

451. "Sympiesometer"

452. "Symblepharon"

453. "Sympatric"

454. "Symbolography"

455. "Symploce"

456. "Symmography"

457. "Sylviculture"

458. "Symphoric"

459. "Symbolatry"

460. "Symmetrophobia"

461. "Synaesthesia"

462. "Symbolaeography"

463. "Symphonia"

464. "Synaloepha"

465. "Symphily"

466. "Synaeresis"

467. "Symposiast"

468. "Symptosis"

469. "Synaphea"

470. "Symptomatology"

471. "Synallagmatic"

472. "Synaposematism"

473. "Symposiarch"

474. "Synanthy"

475. "Synaesthesis"

476. "Symptomatography"

477. "Synchysis"

478. "Syncrasy"

479. "Synastry"

480. "Syncrisis"

481. "Synchoresis"

482. "Syncope"

483. "Syndactylic"

484. "Synarchy"

485. "Syncategorematic"

486. "Syncline"

487. "Synchroscope"

488. "Syncretism"

489. "Synaxarion"

490. "Synclastic"

491. "Synartesis"

492. "Syndicalism"

493. "Syneidesis"

494. "Syntomy"

495. "Syntectic"

496. "Synthronus"

497. "Syphilology"

498. "Synsemantic"

499. "Syntexis"

500. "Syntrierarch"

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501. "Syntagm"

502. "Synteresis"

503. "Syphilomania"

504. "Synecdochial"

505. "Synedrion"

506. "Syndetic"

507. "Synecdoche"

508. "Synesis"

509. "Syndeton"

510. "Synecology"

511. "Syngamy"

512. "Syndyasmian"

513. "Synergism"

514. "Syngenesis"

515. "Synechthry"

516. "Synectics"

517. "Synergy"

518. "Synechiology"

519. "Synonymicon"

520. "Synod"

521. "Synoecism"

522. "Synoecy"

523. "Synodical"

524. "Synoptic"

525. "Syngraph"

526. "Synoecize"

527. "Synoeciosis"

528. "Synorthographic"

529. "Synizesis"

Obscure Words That Begin With S

If you are looking for obscure words, the letter S has many top-notch choices.

A short, but handy word to know is “schism”. This is a split or a division between two different groups. These groups disagree strongly.

For example, there might be a schism between educators and the government about the equity of large-scale, state-wide examinations.

“Shrewd” is another short word that is easy to remember, but packs a punch. If you are shrewd it means you are sharp, that you pick up on things very quickly, and can use that ability to make astute judgments.

Another excellent word to know is sedentary. You have probably been sedentary while you have been reading this article, however, it is not good to be sedentary for too long.

Have you guessed its meaning? Sedentary is inactive. Vegetables are really good for you, but don’t be a couch potato.

Read on for more obscure S words.

Obscure Words Starting With Letter S

530. "Saturate"

531. "Sacrilegious"

532. "Secede"

533. "Satiate"

534. "Sagacious"

535. "Secession"

536. "Sedentary"

537. "Salubrious"

538. "Scion"

539. "Seamless"

540. "Sacrosanct"

541. "Satirical"

542. "Scrutinize"

543. "Segregation"

544. "Schism"

545. "Sedulous"

546. "Sequential"

547. "Sibylline"

548. "Semantics"

549. "Scrupulous"

550. "Simian"

551. "Sentiment"

552. "Serenity"

553. "Solace"

554. "Seminal"

555. "Serendipity"

556. "Specious"

557. "Sentient"

558. "Sophist"

559. "Sequester"

560. "Sobriety"

561. "Spectator"

562. "Somatic"

563. "Simultaneous"

564. "Spectrum"

565. "Simile"

566. "Solvent"

567. "Slack"

568. "Spurn"

569. "Statutory"

570. "Spontaneous"

571. "Squander"

572. "Stamina"

573. "Squalid"

574. "Steadfast"

575. "Speculation"

576. "Squabble"

577. "Stagnate"

578. "Sporadic"

579. "Subjugate"

580. "Subsistence"

581. "Striate"

582. "Subdue"

583. "Stoic"

584. "Stupefy"

585. "Subsidiary"

586. "Subliminal"

587. "Stratification"

588. "Subside"

589. "Stultify"

590. "Sumptuous"

591. "Superlative"

592. "Succinct"

593. "Supererogatory"

594. "Summon"

595. "Superimpose"

596. "Successor"

597. "Superannuated"

598. "Superfluous"

599. "Supplementary"

600. "Sully"

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601. "Superficial"

602. "Sundry"

603. "Supple"

604. "Sycophant"

605. "Surreal"

606. "Supernatural"

607. "Symmetry"

608. "Supersede"

609. "Surreptitious"

610. "Surfeit"

611. "Synonymous"

612. "Suppliant"

613. "Sustenance"

614. "Synchronous"

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Provide Examples Of Negative Words Beginning With "S"?

Here are some examples of negative words starting with "S":

1. Sad
2. Savage
3. Sinister
4. Skeptical
5. Sorrowful
6. Spiteful
7. Stressed
8. Stubborn
9. Suspicious
10. Selfish

Are There Any Specific Negative Words Starting With "S" Commonly Used In Certain Contexts?

There are specific negative words starting with "S" that are commonly used in certain contexts. Here are a few examples:

1. Slanderous: Often used in the context of false and damaging statements about someone's reputation.
2. Snide: Frequently used to describe sarcastic or mocking remarks.
3. Scornful: Typically used to describe contemptuous or disdainful attitudes towards someone or something.
4. Shoddy: Often used to describe something of poor quality or workmanship.
5. Stifling: Commonly used to describe oppressive or suffocating situations or environments.

These are just a few examples, and the usage of specific negative words starting with "S" can vary depending on the context.

Are There Any Negative Words Beginning With "S" That Are Often Misunderstood Or Misinterpreted?

There are no negative words beginning with "S" that are inherently misunderstood or misinterpreted. However, the interpretation of any word can vary depending on the context, tone, and cultural factors. It's important to consider the context and audience when using negative words to avoid any misunderstandings or misinterpretations.

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Continue Reading 👉: 718 Negative Words That Begin With The Letter “R”