excoriate

Verb

  1. express strong disapproval of; “We condemn the racism in South Africa”; “These ideas were reprobated”
  2. tear or wear off the skin or make sore by abrading; “This leash chafes the dog’s neck”
  1. Formal censure or criticize severely the papers that had been excoriating him were now lauding him

  2. Medicine damage or remove part of the surface of (the skin).

Origin

late Middle English: from Latin excoriat- ‘skinned’, from the verb excoriare, from ex- ‘out, from’ + corium ‘skin, hide’

Thesaurus

Verb

  1. the surrounding skin had been excoriated

Similar Words: abrade rub away rub off rub raw scrape scratch chafe damage strip away peel away skin decorticate

  1. he was excoriated in the press for covering up the truth

Similar Words: criticize find fault with censure denounce condemn arraign attack lambast pillory disapprove of carp at cavil at rail against inveigh against cast aspersions on pour scorn on disparage denigrate deprecate malign vilify besmirch run down give a bad press to slur knock pan slam hammer blast bad-mouth nitpick about throw brickbats at give flak to lay into lace into pull to pieces pull apart pick holes in hit out at maul savage roast skewer crucify slag off have a go at give some stick to monster slate rubbish pummel cut up trash bag on bag sledge rate slash vituperate against reprobate animadvert on objurgate asperse derogate reprehend

Opposites: praise approve of