Scathing

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Scathe \Scathe\ (sk[=a][th]; 277), Scath \Scath\ (sk[a^]th;
     277), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Scathed} (sk[=a][th]d or
     sk[a^]tht); p. pr. & vb. n. {Scathing} (sk[=a][th]"[i^]ng or
     sk[a^]th"-).] [Icel. ska[eth]a; akin to AS. scea[eth]an,
     sce[eth][eth]an, Dan. skade, Sw. skada, D. & G. schaden, OHG.
     scad[=o]n, Goth. ska[thorn]jan.]


     To do harm to; to injure; to damage; to waste; to destroy.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           As when heaven's fire
           Hath scathed the forest oaks or mountain pines.
                                                    --Milton.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           Strokes of calamity that scathe and scorch the soul.
                                                    --W. Irving.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  scathing
       adj : marked by harshly abusive criticism; "his scathing remarks
             about silly lady novelists"; "her vituperative railing"
             [syn: {blistering}, {scalding}, {vituperative}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  54 Moby Thesaurus words for "scathing":
     acerb, acerbate, acerbic, acid, acidic, acidulent, acidulous,
     acrid, acrimonious, astringent, biting, bitter, brutal, burning,
     caustic, corroding, corrosive, cutting, damaging, double-edged,
     edged, escharotic, ferocious, fierce, harmful, harsh, incisive,
     keen, mordacious, mordant, nasty, penetrating, piercing, poignant,
     rigorous, rough, salty, savage, scorching, searing, severe, sharp,
     stabbing, stern, stinging, strident, stringent, tart, trenchant,
     vehement, violent, virulent, vitriolic, withering