Excoriable

/ɪkˈskɔːriəbəl/ adjective

Definition

Able to be severely criticized, condemned, or blamed; deserving harsh judgment or reproach.

Etymology

From Latin 'excoriare,' meaning 'to strip skin off' or metaphorically 'to criticize harshly,' plus the suffix '-able.' The word originally referred to physical harm but came to mean verbal criticism.

Kelly Says

The word literally means 'able to be skinned'—imagine how powerful medieval language was when even criticizing someone used imagery of physical violence, showing how seriously they took harsh words.

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