(adj.) Possibly the worst word you can have your
name associated with.
It is hard to define the word, but it is basically used to describe someone so disgraceful that they are seen as the lowest form of life. "Worthlessness", "waste of
skin", "dirt". "Nothing". Far worse than most other insults, where the
victim is often just referred to as genetalia.
The fact that "scum" is a non-swear, and seen as perfectly acceptable English, makes it even more demeaning and offensive. If you are condemned as a "cunt" or a "fucktard", then you are simply being attacked with cliché profanity, used spontaneously and with no particular
venom or thought. "Scum", however, is usually only used in exclusive conditions where it is the only word for the job, and makes the
victim feel like the lowest of the
low.