Meaning & use
excoriate
To criticize someone severely and harshly.
See it in a sentence
The critic excoriated the film for its clumsy dialogue and predictable plot.
She was excoriated in the press after the leaked memo came to light.
A note on using this word
Excoriate is formal and forceful, suitable for written criticism; in medicine it can also mean to strip or graze the skin.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. verb
To damage or strip away an area of skin through injury or friction.
The tight boots had excoriated the skin around her heels by the end of the hike.
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