Scathing
/ˈskeɪðɪŋ/noun
Harshly critical or damaging in effect.
Did you know?The word comes from Old Norse roots tied to injury and damage, and in English it evolved from physical harm into verbal attack—proof that language often turns pain into power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*skaþ-
“to injure, harm”
Old Norse
ON
skaða
“to hurt, damage”
Middle English
ME
scathen
“to damage or harm”
14th Century
English
scathing
“damaging, injurious”
Modern English
English
scathing
“severely critical or sarcastic”