lacerate Definition
lac·er·ate (las′ər āt′; for adj., -it, -āt′)
transitive verb -·at′ed, -·at′·ing
- to tear jaggedly; mangle (something soft, as flesh)
- to wound or hurt (someone's feelings, etc.) deeply; distress
Etymology: < L laceratus, pp. of lacerare, to tear < lacer, lacerated < IE base *lēk-, to tear > Gr lakis, a tatter
adjective
- torn; mangled
- Bot. having jagged edges
lacerate Related Forms
lac′·er·able (-ər ə bəl) adjective
lacerate Synonyms
lacerate
v.
lacerate Usage Examples
Object
- wound: On the base of the skull there were four or five lacerated wounds; there were more wounds on other parts of the head.
- thigh: It was the lacerated thigh of a grenadier, whose flesh had been torn off by a hand-grenade.
- force: Katrina has rammed home that message once more, with lacerating force.
- backside: You'd have published photographs of their lacerated backsides.
- monolog: And the script is a marvel of intelligent, provocative writing, blending Murrow's lacerating monologs with a jagged, cynical journalistic humor.
Modifying Another Word
- severely: Latimer was severely lacerated by some of the barbed wire in the well.
- badly: Ziggy's back is so badly lacerated he has to take time off to recover.
- back: Again and again the throng fell on his lacerated back.
- thoroughly: It was Labor hopeful Nathan Oley who was thoroughly lacerated at the Columbia Road Tenants & Residents Association's hustings last night.
Browse dictionary entries near lacerate
- ‹ Lacedaemon
- ‹ lace
- ‹ laccolith
- ‹ Laccadive Islands
- ‹ Lacan
- ‹ lac
- ‹ labyrinthitis
- ‹ labyrinthine
- ‹ labyrinth
- ‹ laburnum
- laceration ›
- Lacerta ›
- lacertilian ›
- lacewing ›
- lacework ›
- Lachaise ›
- laches ›
- Lachesis ›
- Lachine ›
- lachrymal ›

