scathing
Americanadjective
-
bitterly severe, as a remark.
a scathing review of the play.
-
harmful, injurious, or searing.
adjective
-
harshly critical; scornful
a scathing remark
-
damaging; painful
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of scathing
Explanation
Scathing means witheringly harsh. If you enter a singing contest and the judge says that your singing is like that of a toad with laryngitis, that is scathing criticism. Scathing comes from an old Norse verb, to scathe, which means to injure by fire or lightning. Now we use it when someone’s critique is so harsh that it feels like you've been burned. If your best friend turns against you and advertises your faults to the world, and you feel like everyone is staring and talking about you, you are having a scathing experience.
Vocabulary lists containing scathing
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
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This Week In Words: Current Events Vocab for October 3–9, 2020
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100 SAT words Beginning with "S"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Helplessness melts into righteous rage as you type some scathing retort, as loneliness gives way to the metallic taste of parasocial satisfaction as the likes and reposts flood in.
From Slate ● Nov. 1, 2026
In a scathing resignation letter, he specifically emphasised his belief in the importance of reaching a 3% target by 2030.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
Worryingly for European governments, though, Schmidt is scathing on their prospects and how far behind the U.S. and China they have fallen.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026
District Judge Beryl A. Howell of Washington issued a scathing ruling that required the Trump administration to vacate the building.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
There were three more interviews after Taylor’s, each one just as bitter and scathing and gossip-filled.
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
