excoriate

verb

ex·​co·​ri·​ate ek-ˈskȯr-ē-ˌāt How to pronounce excoriate (audio)
excoriated; excoriating

transitive verb

1
: to wear off the skin of : abrade
2
: to censure scathingly

Did you know?

Excoriate, which first appeared in English in the 15th century, comes from "excoriatus," the past participle of the Late Latin verb excoriare, meaning "to strip off the hide." "Excoriare" was itself formed from a pairing of the Latin prefix ex-, meaning "out," and corium, meaning "skin" or "hide" or "leather." "Corium" has several other descendants in English. One is "cuirass," a name for a piece of armor that covers the body from neck to waist (or something, such as bony plates covering an animal, that resembles such armor). Another is "corium" itself, which is sometimes used as a synonym of "dermis" (the inner layer of human skin).

Examples of excoriate in a Sentence

He was excoriated as a racist. The candidates have publicly excoriated each other throughout the campaign.
Recent Examples on the Web Newsom is also the only Democrat to use his own campaign money for TV commercials backing Democrats and excoriating Republicans in red states like Alabama and Florida. Thomas Elias, The Mercury News, 6 July 2024 The season repeatedly indicts the Milwaukee police for its apparent indifference to Dahmer’s victims, many of whom were Black or brown and gay, and excoriates true-crime aficionados for their callousness toward the victims and their families. Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2024 Paddy grinds it to a halt several times, excoriating Ant for not performing his part well enough. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 10 Sep. 2024 Nationally syndicated Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson, once a presidential speechwriter for George W. Bush, repeatedly excoriated evangelical support of Trump. Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for excoriate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'excoriate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin excoriatus, past participle of excoriare, from Latin ex- + corium skin, hide — more at cuirass

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of excoriate was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near excoriate

Cite this Entry

“Excoriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excoriate. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

excoriate

verb
ex·​co·​ri·​ate ek-ˈskōr-ē-āt How to pronounce excoriate (audio)
-ˈskȯr-
excoriated; excoriating
: to criticize very severely
excoriation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on excoriate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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