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Excoriate, which first appeared in English in the 15th century, comes from "excoriatus," the past participle of the Late Latin verb excoriare, meaning "to strip off the hide." "Excoriare" was itself formed from a pairing of the Latin prefix ex-, meaning "out," and corium, meaning "skin" or "hide" or "leather." "Corium" has several other descendants in English. One is "cuirass," a name for a piece of armor that covers the body from neck to waist (or something, such as bony plates covering an animal, that resembles such armor). Another is "corium" itself, which is sometimes used as a synonym of "dermis" (the inner layer of human skin).
Examples of excoriate in a Sentence
Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Feb. 2026
In a letter to the state senator, obtained by The Star, the groups excoriated Hall’s nomination on four counts.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 29 Jan. 2026
The lower house in the Dutch parliament approved a plan to scrap bonus restrictions for most financial sector staff, a major step in softening a rule that has long been excoriated by the industry.
—Sarah Jacob, Bloomberg, 27 Jan. 2026
However, in 2024 State Auditor Grant Parks excoriated Newsom’s own California Interagency Council on Homelessness for failing to effectively monitor and coordinate homelessness programs — even though the state had spent more than $20 billion during Newsom’s governorship.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for excoriate
Cite this Entry
“Excoriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excoriate. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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excoriate
verb
