From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishscathingscath‧ing /ˈskeɪðɪŋ/ adjective CRITICIZEa scathing remark criticizes someone or something very severelyscathing attack/remark/comment etc a scathing attack on the government’s planned tax increasesscathing about He’s always been so scathing about psychiatrists. —scathingly adverb
Examples from the Corpus
scathing• Their criticism was scathing.• 'The New York Times' was particularly scathing about his performance.• The scathing attack from consumer watchdogs comes only months after the introduction of a strict code of practice designed to improve services.• Her new book is a scathing attack on American imperialism in Central America.• How could you refute it when just the memory of his scathing comments made your eyes fill with tears?• He was scathing in his criticism of colleagues whose work did not match these standards.• The other approach worked with a scathing moral and religious attack on the concepts of hygiene and sanitation embedded in the legislation.• His speech brought scathing opposition responses.• Bloom paints a scathing portrait of Meinke in her memoirs.• The health department issued a scathing report on conditions in local hospitals.• It rejected, in somewhat scathing terms, the owners' proposals for a combination of longer hours and lower wages.scathing attack/remark/comment etc• The same old accusations, the same scathing comments.• Lord Haskins has made scathing remarks about the idea that farmers should be paid to preserve the countryside.• Instead, she delivered what looked like a scathing remark and marched toward the door with Henry scrambling after her.• The scathing attack from consumer watchdogs comes only months after the introduction of a strict code of practice designed to improve services.• How could you refute it when just the memory of his scathing comments made your eyes fill with tears?• Then at least she wouldn't have to endure the scathing comments of Mr Luke-perfect-Crawford down there.• Caldaire managing director Mike Widmer launched a scathing attack on the local authorities.Origin scathing (1700-1800) scathe “to harm” ((12-20 centuries)), from Old Norse skatha 