Finesentence

Excoriated Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

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excoriated

ex-co-ri-at-ed

🇺🇸 /ɛkˈskɔɹiˌeɪtɪd/ · 🇬🇧 /ɛkskˈɔːɹɪˌeɪtɪd/

Definition

Context #1 | Verb

criticism context

To excoriate means to criticize someone or something very harshly. It is often used in a context where the criticism is severe and directed at a person's actions or decisions.

Synonyms

berate, denounce, rebuke, scold.

Examples of usage

  • The film critic excoriated the latest blockbuster for its lack of originality.
  • The politician was excoriated by the press for his controversial remarks.
  • In her review, she excoriated the novel for its poor character development.

Translations

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Quick facts about “excoriated”

Excoriated is a 5-syllable verb (ex-co-ri-at-ed). It is pronounced /ɛkˈskɔɹiˌeɪtɪd/ in American English and /ɛkskˈɔːɹɪˌeɪtɪd/ in British English. On finesentence.com it has 1 meaning, 4 synonyms, and translations into 21 languages. It ranks #32,058 among the most common English words.

Origin of 'excoriated'

The word 'excoriated' comes from the Latin 'excoriatus', which is the past participle of 'excoriare', meaning 'to strip off the skin'. This term combines 'ex-', meaning 'out of', and 'corium', meaning 'skin' or 'hide'. Over time, the term shifted from its literal meaning related to the skin to a metaphorical use in the English language, where it describes the act of harshly criticizing or exposing someone’s faults. Initially used in a more literal sense in medical terms to refer to the act of removing skin, by the late 19th century, its usage had evolved predominantly to refer to the verbal lashing that came with excoriation.

Word Frequency Rank

This word's position of #32,058 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.