flay
verb
ˈflā 
flayed; flaying; flays
transitive verb
1
: to strip off the skin or surface of : skin
The hunter flayed the rabbit and prepared it for cooking.
2
: to criticize harshly : excoriate
He was flayed by the media for his controversial comments.
3
: lash sense 1b
the wind whipped up to gale fury, flaying his face
Richard Kent
Richard Kent
Synonyms
- baste
- bawl out
- berate
- call down
- castigate
- chastise
- chew out
- dress down
- hammer
- jaw
- keelhaul
- lambaste
- lambast
- lecture
- rag
- rail (at or against)
- rant (at)
- rate
- ream (out)
- rebuke
- reprimand
- reproach
- scold
- score
- tongue-lash
- upbraid
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
her husband flayed her constantly for her incessant shopping flayed their kill right there in the forest, taking both the meat and the skin home
Recent Examples on the Web Onlookers gather to watch performers flay their cheeks open, sew their eyelids closed, and remove visceral organs that grow without clear physiologic purpose. Wired, 11 Aug. 2022 But Republicans cited the recent deceleration in hiring to flay Mr. Biden’s economic policies. New York Times, 7 Jan. 2022 This isn’t to criticize the family, but to flay CNN, which should have reported the factual context of the household’s inflation experience. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2021 In their minority report, GOP members of the Ways and Means Committee seized the opportunity to flay Roosevelt for the New Deal’s fiscal irresponsibility. Joseph Thorndike, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2021 Trauma becomes narrative currency, and whoever can claim the most trauma and flay themselves open widest for TV consumption wins the Sadness Olympics. Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 22 June 2021 For his part, Mr. Cunningham is happy to flay Mr. Tillis, but has little appetite to elevate the national stakes. Jonathan Martin, New York Times, 23 Sep. 2020 Cunningham is happy to flay Tillis, but has little appetite to elevate the national stakes. Jonathan Martin New York Times, Star Tribune, 22 Sep. 2020 Separating fact from invention is difficult, but there are rumors that there was more than one murderer, the killing was drug-related and perhaps most disturbingly, that Driscoll was either dismembered or flayed alive. Alex Heigl, PEOPLE.com, 11 Dec. 2019 See More
Wired, 11 Aug. 2022 But Republicans cited the recent deceleration in hiring to flay Mr. Biden’s economic policies. New York Times, 7 Jan. 2022 This isn’t to criticize the family, but to flay CNN, which should have reported the factual context of the household’s inflation experience. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2021 In their minority report, GOP members of the Ways and Means Committee seized the opportunity to flay Roosevelt for the New Deal’s fiscal irresponsibility. Joseph Thorndike, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2021 Trauma becomes narrative currency, and whoever can claim the most trauma and flay themselves open widest for TV consumption wins the Sadness Olympics. Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 22 June 2021 For his part, Mr. Cunningham is happy to flay Mr. Tillis, but has little appetite to elevate the national stakes. Jonathan Martin, New York Times, 23 Sep. 2020 Cunningham is happy to flay Tillis, but has little appetite to elevate the national stakes. Jonathan Martin New York Times, Star Tribune, 22 Sep. 2020 Separating fact from invention is difficult, but there are rumors that there was more than one murderer, the killing was drug-related and perhaps most disturbingly, that Driscoll was either dismembered or flayed alive. Alex Heigl, PEOPLE.com, 11 Dec. 2019 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English flen, from Old English flēan; akin to Old Norse flā to flay, Lithuanian plėšti to tear
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
flay
verb
ˈflā
flayed; flaying
1
: to strip off the skin or surface of
2
: to beat severely
flaying
verb
1
as in scolding
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings her husband flayed her constantly for her incessant shopping Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- scolding
- lecturing
- reprimanding
- criticizing
- blaming
- berating
- upbraiding
- mocking
- attacking
- keelhauling
- chastising
- ragging
- admonishing
- castigating
- hammering
- lambasting
- rebuking
- basting
- reproaching
- lashing
- jawing
- bawling out
- chewing out
- calling down
- dressing down
- chiding
- scoring
- faulting
- tongue-lashing
- crucifying
- slamming
- scourging
- laying into
- excoriating
- assailing
- rating
- reviling
- haranguing
- ridiculing
- denouncing
- condemning
- blasting
- reproving
- knocking
- abusing
- reaming (out)
- taking to task
- censuring
- disparaging
- ranting (at)
- railing (at or against)
- reading the riot act (to)
- panning
- belittling
- scorning
- vituperating
- bad-mouthing
- scoffing
- dissing
- reprehending
- remonstrating (with)
- lacing (into)
- putting down
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- approving
- endorsing
- sanctioning
- praising
- indorsing
- lauding
- extolling
2
as in peeling
to remove the natural covering of flayed their kill right there in the forest, taking both the meat and the skin home Synonyms & Similar Words
- peeling
- barking
- skinning
- husking
- scaling
- stripping
- shucking
- baring
- exposing
- shelling
- denuding
- hulling
- paring
- garishly
- garishness
- garishnesses
- garland
- garland chrysanthemum
- garland crab
- garland dance
- garland flower
- garlandages
- garlanded
- garlanding
- garlandless
- garlands
- garlic
- garlic bread
- garlic chive
- garlic germander
- garlic mustard
- garlic oil
- garlic pear
- garlic pear tree
- garlic press
- garlic salt
- garlic shrub
- garlicked