puh-SIF-ik
(adjective) Peaceful in nature or intent; avoiding conflict.
Her pacific nature helped resolve the argument before it escalated.
Fun Fact
The Pacific Ocean was named by explorer Ferdinand Magellan for its calm waters—mar pacífico, or “peaceful sea.” But beyond geography, pacific describes people, policies, or actions focused on keeping the peace, not just staying quiet. It shows up in everything from foreign policy to personality types.
eks-KOR-ee-ayt
(verb) To criticize someone or something severely and publicly, often with harsh or scathing language.
The columnist excoriated the company’s leadership for ignoring repeated safety warnings.
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.