flay

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈfleɪ/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/fleɪ/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(flā)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
flay /fleɪ/USA pronunciation   v. [~ + object]
  1. to strip off the skin or outer covering of, such as by whipping:flayed the prisoners with whips.
  2. to criticize or scold harshly:The critics flayed the movie.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
flay  (flā),USA pronunciation v.t. 
  1. to strip off the skin or outer covering of.
  2. to criticize or scold with scathing severity.
  3. 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::
flay /fleɪ/ vb (transitive)
  1. to strip off the skin or outer covering of, esp by whipping; skin
  2. to attack with savage criticism
Etymology: Old English flēan; related to Old Norse flā to peel, Lithuanian plešti to tearˈflayer n
'flay' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
excoriate - felon - flog - tear - skin

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