flay

verb

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 faceRichard Kent

Examples of flay in a Sentence

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
However, for somebody whose arm has been flayed and who spent all night looking at the Hannibal art installation that was once his wife, Donald is acting way too normal. James Grebey, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2024 Grammy winner Williams flays the mysterious character, and opens the show with her powerful vocals. Dave Quinn, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024 The radical potential of the scene has mostly evaporated, flattened and flayed into vague signifiers. Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 3 Oct. 2024 Some of the homes were shoved off their concrete footings, while others had their roofs flayed off by the wind. Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 29 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for flay 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of flay was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near flay

Cite this Entry

“Flay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flay. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

flay

verb
1
: to strip off the skin or surface of : skin
2
: to scold severely

More from Merriam-Webster on flay

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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