Meaning & use
scathing
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Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Expressing very harsh, bitter criticism that is meant to hurt or show contempt.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a verb: a scathing review; her tone was scathing.
Patterns
- scathing about something
- a scathing attack on someone
The critic wrote a scathing review of the new play.
Her scathing reply left the room silent.
The report was scathing about the way the funds were handled.
Word forms
| comparative | more scathing |
|---|---|
| superlative | most scathing |
Common combinations
- scathing attack
- The senator launched a scathing attack on the budget.
- scathing criticism
- The film drew scathing criticism from reviewers.
- scathing review
- A scathing review nearly ended his career.
- scathing remark
- He ignored her scathing remark and kept working.
- scathingly funny
- The column was scathingly funny but unkind.
Synonyms and how they differ
- withering
- Withering suggests a cold look or tone that makes someone feel small, while scathing focuses on harsh words.
- harsh
- Harsh is a general word for severe, whereas scathing is specifically sharp and contemptuous criticism.
- blistering
- Blistering stresses the heat and force of an attack, and scathing the biting, insulting tone.
- caustic
- Caustic suggests bitter, sarcastic wit, and scathing may be more openly severe.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: scathing or scornful?
scathing vs scornful
Scornful describes a feeling of contempt, while scathing describes harsh criticism that expresses it.
Practice
The newspaper published a ____ editorial that accused the mayor of lying and called for her resignation.
Choose one answer.
A scathing editorial is severely and bitterly critical. The other options describe positive or mild tones that do not fit an accusation of lying.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “scathing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.