scathing

adjective

scath·​ing ˈskā-ṯẖiŋ 

: bitterly severe

a scathing condemnation

scathingly adverb

Synonyms

• acerb
• acerbic
• acid
• acidic
• acidulous
• acrid
• barbed
• biting
• caustic
• corrosive
• cutting
• mordant
• pungent
• sarcastic
• sardonic
• satiric
• satirical
• scalding
• sharp
• smart-aleck
• smart-alecky
• smart-mouthed
• snarky
• tart

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Examples of scathing in a Sentence

a scathing review of the book

a scathing rebuttal of the latest theory concerning the assassination

Recent Examples on the Web

The scathing lawsuit came just weeks before Linda McMahon's nomination for education secretary. —Arthur Jones Ii, ABC News, 7 Dec. 2024

The special master also released a scathing report in August that found prison officials failed at nearly every turn to keep inmates safe. —Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 7 Dec. 2024

The House voted Thursday to beat back a Democratic effort to make public a potentially scathing ethics report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz's (R-Fla.) conduct. —Juliegrace Brufke, Axios, 5 Dec. 2024

A lot of this movie is actually a realistic, scathing indictment of our capitalist hellscape and how it’s made the buying process suck for just about everything — from concert tickets to designer purses. —Laura Bradley, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

scathing

adjective

scath·​ing

ˈskā-t͟hiŋ

: painfully harsh

a scathing look

scathingly

-t͟hiŋ-lē

adverb