To criticize someone or something severely and harshly; to censure scathingly. Literally means to strip or wear off the skin.
From Latin 'excoriatus,' from 'ex-' (off) + 'corium' (skin or hide). Originally meant to flay or strip skin from an animal, later metaphorically extended to mean stripping someone with harsh criticism.
Think of excoriation as criticism so harsh it's like skinning someone alive with words. The 'cor-' root appears in 'leather' (corium) — imagine verbal criticism that strips away someone's protective layer like removing hide from an animal.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.