scathe

American  

[skeyth] / skeɪð /

verb (used with object)

scathed, scathing

1. to attack with severe criticism.

2. to hurt, harm, or injure, as by scorching.

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noun

1. hurt, harm, or injury.

scathe British  

/ skeɪð /

verb

1. rare to attack with severe criticism

2. archaic to injure

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noun

1. archaic harm

Other Word Forms

• scatheless
  adjective
• scathelessly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of scathe

before 1000; (noun) Middle English scath ( e ), scade, schath ( e ) < Old Norse skathi damage, harm, cognate with Old English sc ( e ) atha malefactor, injury (with which the Middle English forms with sch- might be identified); (v.) Middle English scath ( e ), skath ( e ) < Old Norse skatha, cognate with Old English sceathian

Explanation

To scathe is to obliterate something as if you'd burned it to ashes — or to direct ferocious, fiery disapproval or anger in the direction of a person. The verb scathe is pretty old-fashioned; these days you're more likely to encounter the adjectives scathing and unscathed. The word derives from a root meaning "to harm or injure," and it was once used in both a literal and figurative way. Long ago, you might have scathed your old love letters by burning them in the fireplace, and then scathed your sister by telling her to get lost when she asked what you were doing.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

scathe scathed scathing

I suggest an ibid of historians, a ponder of scientists, a scathe of bureaucrats.

From Time Magazine Archive

This was not done without scathe, however; Brian's men loosed their muskets, and one by one the heavy bastards thundered out across the snow, though the result was hard to see in the darkness.

From Nuala O'Malley by H. Bedford-Jones

All these, and the brig herself, I had outlived; and come through these hardships and fearful perils without scathe.

From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 10 (of 25) by Robert Louis Stevenson

Then stood up Gudbrand of the Dales and spake: 'Much scathe have we gotten now in our god; but, as he cannot help himself, we will now believe in the God in whom thou believest.'

From The Red True Story Book by H. J. (Henry Justice) Ford

A groom rode the racehorse, who took no scathe from his thundering gallop of the day before.

From The Story of John G. Paton Or Thirty Years Among South Sea Cannibals by James Paton

Trilith Studios, one of the largest production facilities in North America, has been scathed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026

"In the race to the bottom, France and Germany are leading the way in the September PMIs. Meanwhile, Spain and Italy are pulling through somewhat less scathed."

From Reuters ● Oct. 2, 2023

Exiting from the pandemic, the assumption might be that Noel’s students should be among the least scathed.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 9, 2023

Even the industries where you’d expect to see significant job losses look barely scathed.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 3, 2023

I was in my own room as usual—just myself, without obvious change: nothing had smitten me, or scathed me, or maimed me.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

The New York Post, often scathing about the couple, greeted the news of their departure with the headline "Throne Back!"

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

The video, set to pulsing music, delivering a scathing critique of the system that he once tried to reform.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

Emily Wilson, the academic whose 2017 translation of Homer's Odyssey was cited by the director as an influence on his adaptation of the poem, has written a scathing review of the movie.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

But when the court was closely split in major cases, Kennedy was likely to be in majority while Scalia wrote scathing and increasingly personal dissents.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026

The past week or so, Percy had imagined a lot of scathing things he might say to Nico when they met again, but the guy looked so frail and sad, Percy couldn’t muster much anger.

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan