Definition

To criticize someone or something very harshly, or to remove the skin from a surface.

Example

The journalist excoriated the politician for his unethical behavior.

Tense Forms

Conversation

Did you see the article that excoriate the new policy at work?

Yeah, it was pretty harsh but honestly, I agree with some of the points they made.

Right? I think they really excoriate the management for not listening to our concerns.

Exactly! Hopefully, it leads to some real changes.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Excoriate is formed from "ex-" (meaning out of or away from) and "corium" (meaning skin). The word describes the act of stripping away or removing the skin, often used in a figurative sense to mean criticizing severely.

Memory Tip

Think of 'removing' ('ex-') the 'skin' ('corium') to remember that excoriate means to strip away or criticize harshly.

Visually Confused Words