excoriate

excoriate
coruscate, excoriate
Confusion of these two somewhat literary words —caused by the coincidence of the syllable -cor- and the ending -ate —is a common malapropism. To coruscate (from Latin coruscare) is to glitter or give off flashes of light, and it can be used figuratively: a coruscating blend of the searingly honest…and the completely deluded. Whereas to excoriate someone is to criticize them harshly, literally ‘to remove their skin’, the physical meaning of the word, derived from Latin corium ‘skin’. A typical misuse follows:

• ☒ The government's response to the tax credits fiasco, which will cost taxpayers unforeseen amounts, is still inadequate, a coruscating report from MPs warns —Scotsman, 2007.

Here, the word intended is excoriating, but it might have been better to avoid the minefield altogether and use a more straightforward but equally satisfactory word such as withering or blistering. The same goes for coruscating in its correct sense: less troublesome alternatives include glittering, glowing, shimmering, dazzling, and gleaming, and people are more likely to know what these mean.

Modern English usage. 2014.

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Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • excoriate — [v1] scrape layers off abrade, chafe, flay, fret, gall, peel, rub, scarify, scratch, skin, strip; concepts 211,215 excoriate [v2] denounce, criticize attack, berate, blister, castigate, censure, chastise, condemn, flay, lambaste, lash, rebuke,… …   New thesaurus

  • Excoriate — Ex*co ri*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Excoriated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {excoriating}.] [L. excoriare; ex out + corium hide. cf. {Scourge}; see {Cuirass}.] To strip or wear off the skin of; to abrade; to gall; to break and remove the cuticle of, in any… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • excoriate — index castigate, censure, denounce (condemn), deprecate, disapprove (condemn), lash (attack verbally) …   Law dictionary

  • excoriate — early 15c., from L.L. excoriatus, pp. of excoriare flay, strip off the hide, from L. ex off (see EX (Cf. ex )) + corium hide, skin (see CORIUM (Cf. corium)). Figurative sense of denounce, censure first recorded in English 1708. Related:… …   Etymology dictionary

  • excoriate — *abrade, chafe, fret, gall Analogous words: *strip, divest, denude, bare: flay, *skin: torture, torment, rack (see AFFLICT): tongue lash, revile, berate (see SCOLD) …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • excoriate — ► VERB 1) chiefly Medicine damage or remove part of the surface of (the skin). 2) formal censure or criticize severely. DERIVATIVES excoriation noun. ORIGIN Latin excoriare to skin …   English terms dictionary

  • excoriate — [ek skôr′ē āt΄, ikskôr′ē āt΄] vt. excoriated, excoriating [ME excoriaten < L excoriatus, pp. of excoriare < ex , out, off + corium, the skin: see CORIUM] 1. to strip, scratch, or rub off the skin of; flay, abrade, chafe, etc. 2. to denounce …   English World dictionary

  • excoriate — [[t]ɪkskɔ͟ːrieɪt[/t]] excoriates, excoriating, excoriated VERB To excoriate a person or organization means to criticize them severely, usually in public. [FORMAL] [V n] He proceeded to excoriate me in front of the nurses. Syn: berate …   English dictionary

  • excoriate — transitive verb ( ated; ating) Etymology: Middle English, from Late Latin excoriatus, past participle of excoriare, from Latin ex + corium skin, hide more at cuirass Date: 15th century 1. to wear off the skin of ; abrade 2. to censure scathingly… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • excoriate — /ik skawr ee ayt , skohr /, v.t., excoriated, excoriating. 1. to denounce or berate severely; flay verbally: He was excoriated for his mistakes. 2. to strip off or remove the skin from: Her palms were excoriated by the hard labor of shoveling.… …   Universalium

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