Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1700-1800
Origin: scathe 'to harm' (12-20 centuries), from Old Norse skatha

scathing

 adjective
     
scath‧ing
a scathing remark criticizes someone or something very severely
scathing attack/remark/comment etc
a scathing attack on the Government's planned tax increases
scathing about
He's always been so scathing about psychiatrists.
—scathingly adverb
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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