flay

American  

[fley] / fleɪ /

verb (used with object)

1. to strip off the skin or outer covering of.

2. to criticize or scold with scathing severity.

   Synonyms:

   upbraid, excoriate, castigate

3. to deprive or strip of money or property.

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flay British  

/ fleɪ /

verb

1. to strip off the skin or outer covering of, esp by whipping; skin

2. to attack with savage criticism

3. to strip of money or goods, esp by cheating or extortion

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Usage

What does flay mean? To flay is to strip off the skin or outer covering of something. Flay is most commonly used metaphorically to refer to severely criticizing someone. It can also mean to cheat or deprive someone of money or property.The original, literal meaning of flay typically referred to removing the skin of an animal. Flay can also refer to removing the skin of a human, especially as a form of torture by whipping. Neither of its literal senses are commonly used anymore, except perhaps in fiction.Example: People on social media love to flay celebrities who are caught doing the opposite of what they always tell other people to do.

Other Word Forms

• flayer noun
• unflayed adjective

Etymology

Origin of flay

before 900; Middle English flen, Old English flēan; cognate with Middle Dutch vlaen, Old Norse flā

Example Sentences

Then came Harry Brook's brain fade when set on 31 - flaying a wild drive at pink-ball maestro Mitchell Starc to second slip in the twilight.

From BBC

One of his recurring subjects was meat, from flayed rabbits to rayfish, with odorous side effects.

From The Wall Street Journal

With Green stepping back to flay an expected short ball, he was bluffed by a Carse yorker that splattered the stumps.

From BBC

There was still time for Root and Archer to flay the weary Australia attack in 44 balls of mayhem before the close.

From BBC

A convent girl with a creepy streak, Elizabeth sees beauty in biology, leaning over a corpse’s flayed back to appreciate the intricacy of its ventricles.

From Los Angeles Times