scathing

adjective

scath·​ing ˈskā-ṯẖiŋ How to pronounce scathing (audio)
: bitterly severe
a scathing condemnation
scathingly adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for scathing

caustic, mordant, acrid, scathing mean stingingly incisive.

caustic suggests a biting wit.

caustic comments

mordant suggests a wit that is used with deadly effectiveness.

mordant reviews of the play

acrid implies bitterness and often malevolence.

acrid invective

scathing implies indignant attacks delivered with fierce severity.

a scathing satire

Examples of scathing in a Sentence

a scathing review of the book a scathing rebuttal of the latest theory concerning the assassination
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Maybe your projects — that once felt celebrated among higher-ups — now get scathing reviews. Julia Sullivan, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2025 After Karen Read’s inevitable (second) acquittal, Alan Jackson wrote a scathing letter to Commissioner Cox basically telling him that Kelly Dever was all through as a cop. Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025 Patel, whose readiness for the job came under close, and often scathing, scrutiny when he was first appointed, needed a stage upon which to prove his fitness for the gig. Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2025 In fact, in 1928, the summer before Frances and George convalesced at Phillip's House, a scathing report was issued by the National Research Council called the Coroner and the Medical Examiner. Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for scathing

Word History

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scathing was in 1794

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scathing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scathing. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

scathing

adjective
scath·​ing
ˈskā-t͟hiŋ
: painfully harsh
a scathing look
scathingly
-t͟hiŋ-lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on scathing

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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