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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
Lisa Song, ProPublica, 7 May 2026
William Hall, who represents Chatham, from excoriating the company.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
The complicated, two-month saga to return Romero León was laid bare during a court hearing in downtown Los Angeles on April 23, during which a judge excoriated the government for not complying with his order to immediately return the 59-year-old and threatening to issue contempt sanctions.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Kiffin was excoriated by fans and media for abandoning his team, but neither Chambliss nor his family begrudge the coach for leaving.
—Bomani Jones, Vanity Fair, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for excoriate
Cite this Entry
“Excoriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excoriate. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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excoriate
verb
