scathing

adjective

: very harsh or severe

Full Definition of SCATHING

: bitterly severe <a scathing condemnation>

— scathingly adverb

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First Known Use of SCATHING

1794

Related to SCATHING

Synonyms: acerb, acerbic, acid, acidic, acidulous, acrid, barbed, biting, caustic, corrosive, cutting, mordant, pungent, sardonic, satiric (or satirical), scalding, sarcastic, sharp, smart-aleck, smart-alecky, smart-mouthed, snarky, tart

Synonym Discussion of SCATHING

caustic, mordant, acrid, scathing mean stingingly incisive. caustic suggests a biting wit <caustic comments>. mordant suggests a wit that is used with deadly effectiveness <mordant reviews of the play>. acrid implies bitterness and often malevolence <acrid invective>. scathing implies indignant attacks delivered with fierce severity <a scathing satire>.

Learn More About SCATHING

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for "scathing"

Spanish Central: Spanish translation of "scathing"

Nglish: Translation of "scathing" for Spanish speakers

Britannica English: Translation of "scathing" for Arabic speakers

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