Harsh criticism or censure; severe verbal attack or denunciation. The act of criticizing someone or something very harshly.
From Latin 'excoriare' meaning 'to strip the skin from,' combining 'ex-' (off) and 'corium' (skin/hide). The metaphor evolved from the literal peeling of skin to the figurative 'flaying' of someone with harsh words.
Excoriation literally means 'skinning' someone - removing their skin! When critics excoriate a politician, they're metaphorically skinning them alive with harsh words. It's verbal flaying - criticism so severe it's like ripping someone's skin off. Ouch!
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