exfoliate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to throw off in scales, splinters, etc.
-
to remove the surface of (a bone, the skin, etc.) in scales or laminae.
verb (used without object)
-
to throw off scales or flakes; peel off in thin fragments.
The bark of some trees exfoliates.
-
Geology.
-
to split or swell into a scaly aggregate, as certain minerals when heated.
-
to separate into rudely concentric layers or sheets, as certain rocks during weathering.
-
-
Medicine/Medical. to separate and come off in scales, as scaling skin or any structure separating in flakes.
verb
-
(tr) to wash (a part of the body) with a granular cosmetic preparation in order to remove dead cells from the skin's surface
-
(of bark, skin, etc) to peel off in (layers, flakes, or scales)
-
(intr) (of rocks or minerals) to shed the thin outermost layer because of weathering or heating
-
(of some minerals, esp mica) to split or cause to split into thin flakes
a factory to exfoliate vermiculite
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
exfoliatesimple
-
exfoliatessimple
-
have exfoliatedperfect
-
has exfoliatedperfect
-
am exfoliatingprogressive
-
are exfoliatingprogressive
-
is exfoliatingprogressive
-
have been exfoliatingperfect progressive
-
has been exfoliatingperfect progressive
Past
-
exfoliatedsimple
-
had exfoliatedperfect
-
was exfoliatingprogressive
-
were exfoliatingprogressive
-
had been exfoliatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of exfoliate
First recorded in 1605–15; from Late Latin exfoliātus, past participle of exfoliāre “to strip off leaves”; see origin at ex- 1, foliate
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.
See Examples For:
Dee also combines the treatments with high-grade medical skin care to exfoliate dead skin cells and use serums to stimulate collagen and elastin.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 24, 2023
Add a small bit of water to the mineral-packed blend of volcanic green clay, Dead Sea salt, kelp and spirulina to exfoliate, soothe and hydrate the skin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2022
These are like facial masks for your feet, and many make lofty promises to remove calluses, exfoliate your skin and make your feet feel smoother and softer.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 19, 2022
Wait three minutes — take the time to shave, exfoliate, sing, whatever floats your boat — and then rinse it out and voila!
From Slate ● Feb. 11, 2019
The name is from the Latin vermiculor, “to breed worms,” because when heated before the blowpipe these minerals exfoliate into long worm-like threads.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 3 "Chitral" to "Cincinnati" by Various
Writer-director Sofia Coppola exfoliates the lust for celebrity lifestyles that often powers theft, even at its most haphazard and uncoordinated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 2024
The spa’s most popular body treatment is the Honey Glow Body Wrap, which exfoliates your entire body in a warm wrap of honey.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 29, 2021
She demonstrates how to apply a cleanser to the nubs and how to move the buzzing device around your face as it exfoliates and removes dirt.
From Slate ● Apr. 25, 2019
“Pumpkin reduces puffy eye tissue while strengthening the weakened capillaries that produce dark circles,” Hurtado says. “It also gently exfoliates dead skin cells for a brighter glow and reduces the appearance of wrinkles.”
From Forbes ● Oct. 28, 2014
The slime resembles a layer of albumen, spread with a brush; it exfoliates in drying, and finally becomes visible by the manner in which it colors green or deep brown.
From The Religion of Geology and Its Connected Sciences by Hitchcock, Edward
After addressing structural problems such as loss of adhesion and exfoliated paint, the restorers then used reversible techniques -- including watercolour paint -- to "stitch" everything back together, she said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
For 45 minutes, a “Q-facial” machine sprayed, vacuumed, exfoliated and hydrated my face, delivering ultrasonic waves at two different depths.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2025
"Specifically, we have provided high-quality exfoliated flakes tailored to their requests, and we worked together closely to optimize the exfoliation conditions for their materials. This partnership has significantly enhanced their sample fabrication process."
From Science Daily ● May 14, 2024
Once my feet were soaked and clipped, she exfoliated the tops of my feet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2022
“Yeah. I have five humongous bug bites on my legs and arms, my butt crack has been thoroughly exfoliated with sand, I’m hungry, exhausted, and I haven’t seen a ship anywhere.”
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
The treatment takes place on a heated marble table inside the hammam and begins with a thorough cleansing before moving into an invigorating exfoliating scrub.
From Salon ● Mar. 7, 2026
They swirled hand-muddled blueberries and raw honey into organic, sugar-free yogurt for his facial; they stirred exfoliating Japanese volcanic sand into mineral-rich Korean mud for his hydrating mask.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2025
"I have to undergo a lot of treatment every day, which takes three to five hours and involves bath emollients, creaming and exfoliating," she said.
From BBC ● Mar. 11, 2025
When the trees shed their puzzle-piece bark, it’s like they’re exfoliating: They deposit pollutants into the soil, preventing them from entering local waterways or our lungs, while jettisoning damaged bark.
From Slate ● Mar. 16, 2024
Ifemelu had finished and Aunty Uju was coating an exfoliating mask on her face when The General called to say he could no longer come.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Definitions 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.
