excoriate

To excoriate is defined as to condemn, criticize thoroughly or express strong disapproval.

(verb)

When you thoroughly condemn a certain behavior, this is an example of a time when you excoriate.

The definition of excoriate is to chafe, abrade or wear off the skin.

(verb)

A tight bracelet that rubs against your skin, chafing it and causing redness and irritation is an example of something that excoriates.

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See excoriate in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb excoriated, excoriating

  1. to strip, scratch, or rub off the skin of; flay, abrade, chafe, etc.
  2. to denounce harshly

Origin: ME excoriaten < L excoriatus, pp. of excoriare < ex-, out, off + corium, the skin: see corium

Related Forms:

See excoriate in American Heritage Dictionary 4

transitive verb ex·co·ri·at·ed, ex·co·ri·at·ing, ex·co·ri·ates
  1. To tear or wear off the skin of; abrade. See Synonyms at chafe.
  2. To censure strongly; denounce: an editorial that excoriated the administration for its inaction.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English excoriaten

Origin: , from Latin excoriāre, excoriāt-

Origin: : ex-, ex-

Origin: + corium, skin; see sker-1 in Indo-European roots

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Related Forms:

  • ex·coˌri·aˈtion noun
  • ex·coˈri·aˌtor noun

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