SCATHING Synonyms: 148 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'scathing' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of scathing are acrid , caustic , and mordant . While all these words mean "stingingly incisive," scathing implies indignant attacks delivered with fierce severity. // a scathing satire

Q: When might 'acrid' be a better fit than 'scathing'?

The synonyms acrid and scathing are sometimes interchangeable, but acrid implies bitterness and often malevolence. // acrid invective

Q: When is it sensible to use 'caustic' instead of 'scathing'?

In some situations, the words caustic and scathing are roughly equivalent. However, caustic suggests a biting wit. // caustic comments

Q: Where would 'mordant' be a reasonable alternative to 'scathing'?

The words mordant and scathing are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mordant suggests a wit that is used with deadly effectiveness. // mordant reviews of the play

scathing 1 of 2

adjective

ˈskā-ṯẖiŋ

Definition of scathing next

as in satirical

marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings a scathing rebuttal of the latest theory concerning the assassination

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

scathing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of scathe

as in attacking

to criticize harshly and usually publicly newspaper cartoonists scathed the lecherous governor with a series of cruel caricatures

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective scathing contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of scathing are acrid, caustic, and mordant. While all these words mean "stingingly incisive," scathing implies indignant attacks delivered with fierce severity.

a scathing satire

When might acrid be a better fit than scathing?

The synonyms acrid and scathing are sometimes interchangeable, but acrid implies bitterness and often malevolence.

acrid invective

When is it sensible to use caustic instead of scathing?

In some situations, the words caustic and scathing are roughly equivalent. However, caustic suggests a biting wit.

caustic comments

Where would mordant be a reasonable alternative to scathing?

The words mordant and scathing are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mordant suggests a wit that is used with deadly effectiveness.

mordant reviews of the play

Examples Sentences

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Recent Examples of scathing

Adjective

The Writers Guild of America East has taken aim at Hearst Magazines via a scathing statement in the wake of layoffs at the company Thursday morning. —

Katie Campione, Deadline, 21 Nov. 2024 Set in the 1920s, Chicago is a scathing satire of how show business and the media make celebrities out of criminals. —

Sigal Ratner-Arias, Billboard, 27 Nov. 2024 The song was released in May amid the rappers’ high-profile feud, which saw Drake and Lamar trade scathing diss tracks over the course of a few months. —

Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 26 Nov. 2024 The two rappers volleyed unverifiable allegations of pedophilia and domestic abuse in scathing diss tracks, but beneath that was a war about aesthetics. —

Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 26 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for scathing

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scathing

Verb

The moves sparked a wave of opprobrium from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which accused Israel of attacking Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
It was inspired by the Central Park Five, the name given to the Black and Latino teen-agers who in 1989 were wrongly accused of attacking and raping a white woman in Central Park.

Calvin Tomkins, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024