Harshly critical or severely damaging in words; expressing strong disapproval or contempt.
From 'scathe,' an Old English word meaning 'to harm or injure,' combined with the '-ing' suffix. 'Scathe' comes from Old Norse 'scatha' (to harm). The meaning shifted from physical harm to harsh criticism and verbal damage.
Movie critics are famous for writing 'scathing' reviews that can actually hurt a film's chances at the box office—a really bad review from a famous critic can damage a movie's reputation even before most people see it!
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