scathe

1 of 2

noun

ˈskāt͟h 

ˈskāth

: harm, injury

scatheless

ˈskāt͟h-ləs 

adjective

scathe

2 of 2

verb

ˈskāt͟h 

scathed; scathing

transitive verb

1

: to do harm to

specifically : scorch, sear

2

: to assail with withering denunciation

Synonyms of scathe

Verb

• attack
• scold
• slam
• insult
• savage

Examples of scathe in a Sentence

Verb

newspaper cartoonists scathed the lecherous governor with a series of cruel caricatures

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Despite scathing critical reviews, the movie, starring Jaafar Jackson, opened strong on April 24, grossing over $217 million worldwide in its first weekend. — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

In the wake of rumors regarding their rift, the 27-year-old discussed the breakdown of their relationship in a series of scathing Instagram Stories posts shared earlier this year. — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 12 June 2026

Trump has lashed out at Carlson and other media figures, including Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens and Alex Jones, who have been scathing about the decision to get into the war. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 21 Apr. 2026

Outsider art in every sense of the word, and laden with scathing political and social commentary, Purifoy’s installations morph and change in the elements. — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from an Old Norse predecessor of Old Icelandic skaði "harm, damage," going back to Germanic *skaþan- (whence also Old English sceaða "injurious person, criminal," (rarely) "injury," Old Frisian skatha, skada "disadvantage," Old Saxon skatho "evildoer" (also skatha "detriment"), Old High German scado "damage, disadvantage, thief," also Gothic (neuter) skaþis "wrongdoing"), derivative of a strong/weak verb represented by Old English sceþþan "to injure, oppress" (past scōd), Old Icelandic skeðja "to hurt," Gothic skaþjan* (past skoþ), going back to Germanic *skaþjan-; further affinities uncertain

Note: The etymon has naturally been compared to Greek askēthḗs "unharmed, unscathed," but a special explanation is needed for the theta in Greek as opposed to *t in Germanic. Old Irish scíth "weary, tired" and the derivative scís "fatigue, tiredness," have also been compared, on the assumption of a reconstruction such as *skeh₂t-o-, but the meanings hardly correspond.

Verb

Middle English scathen "to harm, cause harm to, assail," from an Old Norse predecessor of Old Icelandic skaða "to hurt, harm," going back to Germanic *skaþōjan- (whence also Old English sceaðian "to injure, spoil, steal," Old Frisian skathia "to damage, harm," Old Saxon skathon "to accuse falsely," Old High German scadōn "to damage, inflict harm"), derivative from the base of *skaþan- "harm, damage" — more at scathe entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for scathe

• bathe
• lathe

Kids Definition

scathe

1 of 2 noun

ˈskāt͟h 

: harm sense 1, injury

scatheless

-ləs 

adjective

scathe

2 of 2 verb

scathed; scathing

1

: to do harm to : injure

especially : to injure by fire : scorch, sear

2

: to attack with very harsh accusations