excoriate

[ik-skawr-ee-eyt, -skohr-]

See more synonyms for excoriate on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), ex·co·ri·at·ed, ex·co·ri·at·ing.

to denounce or berate severely; flay verbally: He was excoriated for his mistakes.
to strip off or remove the skin from: Her palms were excoriated by the hard labor of shoveling.

Origin of excoriate

1375–1425; late Middle English < Late Latin excoriātus (past participle of excoriāre to strip, skin). See ex-¹, corium, -ate¹

Related formsun·ex·co·ri·at·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for excoriate

Contemporary Examples

Newspaper editorials continue to excoriate Netanyahu, even calling for his resignation—editorials written by his supporters.
Why Did Netanyahu Release Palestinian Prisoners?
Abraham Katsman
August 6, 2013
It teases and goads the wealthy to be fair rather than excoriate them for being rich.
Obama Call for Buffett Rule Is Potent Politics but an Economic Pitfall
Zachary Karabell
April 11, 2012
Those who excoriate the approach as idealistic or unrealistic missed the point.
Condi Rice: The Bush 'Freedom Agenda' Won
The Daily Beast
October 23, 2011
That opened a new opportunity for bloggers to excoriate both Duncan and his staff.
Teachers Furious at Duncan
Diane Ravitch
May 10, 2011
“Lisa Miller continually uses her column to excoriate faith,” says Cupp.
The Right's Favorite Atheist
Benyamin Cohen
June 13, 2010

Historical Examples

Ghastly faces were staring at her, their lips moving in death to excoriate her.
The Last Shot
Frederick Palmer
Its pamphlets went so far as to excoriate allied methods of warfare and to level accusations of inhumanity against the Belgians.
Woodrow Wilson and the World War
Charles Seymour
Five days after this period, I again observed a disposition to excoriate.
An Essay on the Application of the Lunar Caustic in the Cure of Certain Wounds and Ulcers
John Higginbottom
You must be careful not to have too much of the Liquid on the rag, for fear it should excoriate the gums or inside of the mouth.
The Toilet of Flora
Pierre-Joseph Buc'hoz
After eating the marrow, which was so acrid as to excoriate the lips, we rendered the bones friable by burning, and ate them also.
Narrative of a Journey to the Shores of the Polar Sea, in the years 1819-20-21-22, Volume 2
John Franklin

British Dictionary definitions for excoriate

excoriate

verb (tr)

to strip (the skin) from (a person or animal); flay
med to lose (a superficial area of skin), as by scratching, the application of chemicals, etc
to denounce vehemently; censure severely

Derived Formsexcoriation, noun

Word Origin

C15: from Late Latin excoriāre to strip, flay, from Latin corium skin, hide

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for excoriate

v.

early 15c., from Late Latin excoriatus, past participle of excoriare "flay, strip off the hide," from Latin ex- "off" (see ex-) + corium "hide, skin" (see corium). Figurative sense of "denounce, censure" first recorded in English 1708. Related: Excoriated; excoriating.

excoriate in Medicine

excoriate

(ĭk-skôr′ē-āt′)

To scratch or otherwise abrade the skin by physical means.

Related formsex•co′ri•a′tion n.

excoriate

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}excoriate

Examples from the Web for excoriate

Contemporary Examples

Newspaper editorials continue to excoriate Netanyahu, even calling for his resignation—editorials written by his supporters.

It teases and goads the wealthy to be fair rather than excoriate them for being rich.

Those who excoriate the approach as idealistic or unrealistic missed the point.

That opened a new opportunity for bloggers to excoriate both Duncan and his staff.

“Lisa Miller continually uses her column to excoriate faith,” says Cupp.

Historical Examples

Ghastly faces were staring at her, their lips moving in death to excoriate her.

Its pamphlets went so far as to excoriate allied methods of warfare and to level accusations of inhumanity against the Belgians.

Five days after this period, I again observed a disposition to excoriate.

You must be careful not to have too much of the Liquid on the rag, for fear it should excoriate the gums or inside of the mouth.

After eating the marrow, which was so acrid as to excoriate the lips, we rendered the bones friable by burning, and ate them also.

excoriate

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for excoriate

v.

excoriate

Origin of excoriate