Meaning & use
scathing
Harshly critical or severely damaging in tone, especially in speech or writing.
See it in a sentence
The critic wrote a scathing review that called the film a waste of talent.
His scathing remarks about the proposal left the committee visibly uncomfortable.
A note on using this word
Scathing is stronger than merely 'critical'; it implies the criticism was intended to wound or humiliate.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
gentlecomplimentary
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “scathing”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.