• Today's Word

Excoriate

🔊 Listen to the word Excoriate

eks-KOR-ee-ayt

Definition

(verb) To criticize someone or something severely and publicly, often with harsh or scathing language.

Example

The columnist excoriated the company’s leadership for ignoring repeated safety warnings.

Word Origin

Excoriate comes from the Latin excoriare, meaning “to strip off the skin,” from ex- (“off”) and corium (“hide” or “skin”). While the word originally described physical abrasion, its meaning shifted metaphorically over time to describe verbal attacks so harsh they feel skin-deep, leaving nothing protected.

Fun Fact

Excoriate is one of many English words where physical pain became a metaphor for emotional or reputational damage. Even today, the word carries a visceral quality—suggesting that intense criticism doesn’t just hurt feelings, but exposes, wounds, and leaves marks long after the words are spoken.