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 The legislation largely split lawmakers along party lines with some Democrats excoriating its high cost. Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 7 May 2024 A couple of digital outlets picked up the post and ran the replies, many of which excoriated the excess. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 5 May 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 29 May. 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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