Meanings
- gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of scathe
comparative more scathing · superlative most scathing
- Harshly or bitterly critical; vitriolic.
1 more example
For months, Dati warned she would refuse to stand aside. Now she has stunned the political class with an open letter to Fillon in Le Monde, a scathing character assassination accusing him of the "lone ambition" of a disillusioned political elite, of doing politics in a way that "never favoured women" and stopping ethnic-minority candidates from progressing at elections. She said he was committing "a sad mistake" in trying to run in Paris.
2011 December 14, Angelique Chrisafis, “Rachida Dati accuses French PM of sexism and elitism”, in GuardianSynonyms: searing
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveHarshly or bitterly critical; vitriolic.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivemarked by harshly abusive criticism
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Bulgarian язвителен, враждебен
- язвителен (jazvitelen)harshly or bitterly critical
- враждебен (vraždeben)harmful or painful
- увреждащ (uvreždašt)harmful or painful
Catalan mordaç
- mordaçharshly or bitterly critical
Czech kousavý
- kousavýharshly or bitterly critical
Finnish pureva, terävä
- purevaharshly or bitterly critical
- teräväharshly or bitterly critical
French cinglant, acerbe
- cinglantharshly or bitterly critical
- acerbeharmful or painful
German ätzend, bitter
- ätzendharshly or bitterly critical
- bitterharshly or bitterly critical
- bissigharshly or bitterly critical
- bitterharmful or painful
- grausamharmful or painful
Italian caustico
- causticoharshly or bitterly critical
Portuguese ferino
- ferinoharshly or bitterly critical
Russian е́дкий, хлёсткий
- е́дкий (jédkij)harshly or bitterly critical
- хлёсткий (xljóstkij)harshly or bitterly critical
Spanish feroz, mordaz
- ferozharshly or bitterly critical
- mordazharshly or bitterly critical
- hirienteharmful or painful
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with scathing
All rhymes →Cite this entry
scathing. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scathing
“scathing.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scathing. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “scathing,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scathing.
Source: scathing on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.