excoriate

1 to criticize harshly and usually publicly the mayor had hardly been in office for a month before she was being excoriated for problems of very long standing Synonyms abuse, assail, bash, belabor, blast, castigate, attack, jump (on), lambaste (or lambast), potshot, savage, scathe, slam, trash, vituperateRelated Words berate, harangue, harass, harry, revile, scold, whip; blaspheme, curse, execrate, imprecate, profane; affront, insult, slur; asperse, bad-mouth, belittle, blackguard, disparage, put down; libel, slander, traduce, vilify; chastise, chide, criticize, lace (into), rebuke, reprimand, reproof; fulminate, lash (out)Near Antonyms acclaim, commend, compliment, hail, laud, praise

2 to make sore by continued rubbing the manacles had badly excoriated the prisoner's wrists Synonyms abrade, chafe, fret, gall, irritateRelated Words graze, scrape, scratch; burn, inflame (also enflame); flay, peel, skin