Which term best describes someone of poor character?

The term that best describes someone of poor character is disreputable. This term specifically refers to a person who is considered to have a bad reputation, often due to their unethical or dishonorable actions. A disreputable individual typically exhibits behaviors that are frowned upon by society, which aligns closely with the characterization of having poor moral standards.

In contrast, unscrupulous, unreliable, and untrustworthy denote specific negative traits that may be associated with poor character but do not encompass the broader implications of societal reputation that disreputable does. Unscrupulous individuals lack moral principles, making them dishonest or unethical, while unreliable refers to someone who cannot be depended upon. Untrustworthy describes someone who is not trustworthy, indicating that they cannot be relied upon to act with integrity. Each of these terms captures a certain aspect of poor character, but disreputable most effectively conveys the overall perception impacted by such character flaws.