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- DictionaryFlay/flā/
verb
- 1. peel the skin off (a corpse or carcass): "one shoulder had been flayed to reveal the muscles"
flay somebody/yourself (formal) to criticize someone/yourself severely He flayed himself for his lack of tact. Her dark eyes flayed him. Definition of flay verb in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
Flay Definition. flā. flayed, flaying, flays. Meanings. Synonyms. Sentences. Definition Source. Origin. Verb. Noun. Filter. verb. To strip off the skin or hide of, as by whipping. Webster's New World. Similar definitions. To strip of money or goods; fleece. American Heritage. To criticize or scold mercilessly. Webster's New World.
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English flay /fleɪ/ verb [ transitive] 1 formal to criticize someone very severely She was well-known for flaying public officials in her daily column. 2 literary to whip or beat someone very severely 3 formal to remove the skin from an animal or person, especially one that is dead → See Verb table Example...
to strip off the skin or outer covering of. to criticize or scold with scathing severity. to deprive or strip of money or property. bef. 900; Middle English flen, Old English flēan; cognate with Middle Dutch vlaen, Old Norse flā. flay′er, n. 2. castigate, excoriate, upbraid, chew out. Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Definition of flay. 1. as in to scold. to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings her husband flayed her constantly for her incessant shopping. Synonyms & Similar Words. Relevance. scold. lecture. reprimand. criticize. blame. berate. rag. chastise. upbraid. lambast. admonish. attack. jaw. castigate. lambaste.
Britannica Dictionary definition of FLAY. [+ object] : to beat or whip (someone or something) in a very violent and severe way — usually used figuratively. He was flayed [=severely criticized] by the media for his thoughtless comments. FLAY meaning: to beat or whip (someone or something) in a very violent and severe way usually used figuratively.
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. Synonyms. baste. bawl out. berate. call down. castigate.
