scathing

adjective

scath·​ing ˈskā-ṯẖiŋ 

: bitterly severe

a scathing condemnation

scathingly adverb

Synonyms of scathing

• satiric
• sarcastic
• barbed
• acidic

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

The blog report prompted the lawyer for five women who have accused Rupnik to write a scathing critique of the Vatican’s in-house canonical system, in which victims have no right to information about the investigation. — ABC News, 22 July 2026

Decades after a scathing 1997 court ruling, Kaiser Permanente’s private arbitration system is once again facing questions over whether its arbitration system is stacked against the interests of its members. — Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026

His language toward the opposition has been no less scathing. — Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 20 July 2026

After Brazil defeated the United States 1-0 in the last-16 stage of that tournament, sports journalist Mario Neto wrote a column that was scathing about the style in Jornal dos Sports, the Rio de Janeiro daily sports newspaper. — Colin Millar, New York Times, 19 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for scathing

• bathing
• lathing
• sunbathing

Kids Definition

scathing

adjective

scath·​ing

ˈskā-t͟hiŋ

: painfully harsh

a scathing look

scathingly

-t͟hiŋ-lē

adverb