scathing

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adjective

: very harsh or severe

Full Definition of SCATHING

:  bitterly severe <a scathing condemnation>

— scathingly adverb

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Examples of SCATHING

1. a scathing review of the book
2. <a scathing rebuttal of the latest theory concerning the assassination>

First Known Use of SCATHING

1794

Related to SCATHING

Synonyms

acerb, acerbic, acid, acidic, acidulous, acrid, barbed, biting, caustic, corrosive, cutting, mordant, pungent, sardonic, satiric (or satirical), scalding, sarcastic, sharp, smart-aleck, smart-alecky, smart-mouthed, snarky, tart

Related Words

brisk, cross, sharp-tongued, sour, sourish, spiky (also spikey), tartish; incisive, keen, poignant, trenchant; cynical, dry, ironic (also ironical), wry; facetious, flippant, tongue-in-cheek; acrimonious, bitter, resentful, vitriolic; harsh, rough, severe, stringent; abrupt, blunt, brusque (also brusk), concise, crisp, curt, gruff, pithy, snippety, snippy, succinct, terse; backhanded, insincere

Near Antonyms

amusing, droll, merry, playful, sportive, waggish; gentle, mild; bland; good-humored, good-natured; diplomatic, polite, smooth, suave, urbane; affable, cordial, genial, gracious, hospitable, sociable

See Synonym Discussion at caustic