lacerate
LowFormal/Literary
Definition
Meaning
To tear or cut deeply, especially flesh or skin, causing a jagged wound.
To cause severe emotional or psychological pain; to criticize harshly and destructively.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The physical sense implies a deep, irregular tear (unlike a clean cut). The emotional sense is a powerful metaphor for profound hurt or devastating criticism.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The word is equally formal and low-frequency in both varieties.
Connotations
Strong negative connotations of violence, damage, and severe pain in both physical and emotional contexts.
Frequency
Rare in casual speech. More likely found in medical, literary, or journalistic contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] lacerates [Object] (e.g., The glass lacerated his arm).[Subject] is lacerated by [Agent/Cause] (e.g., She was lacerated by his remarks).Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Lacerate someone's soul/reputation/heart (figurative, literary).”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Possibly in hyperbolic critique: 'The report lacerated the company's environmental record.'
Academic
Used in literary criticism, history, or medical texts: 'The satire lacerates the hypocrisy of the aristocracy.'
Everyday
Very rare. Would sound overly dramatic for minor injuries or upsets.
Technical
Medical terminology to describe a specific type of jagged wound: 'The patient presented with a lacerated spleen.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The barbed wire could easily lacerate your legs.
- His review was designed to lacerate the author's credibility.
American English
- The broken bottle lacerated her palm.
- The documentary lacerates the political establishment.
adverb
British English
- She spoke laceratingly about the government's failures.
American English
- He criticized the policy laceratingly in his column.
adjective
British English
- He suffered a lacerated tendon in the accident.
- She gave him a look of lacerating scorn.
American English
- The surgeon repaired the lacerated artery.
- His lacerating wit made him feared in debates.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The sharp metal lacerated his hand.
- Be careful not to lacerate yourself on the glass.
- The cat's claws lacerated the expensive sofa fabric.
- Her brutally honest feedback lacerated his confidence.
- The shrapnel lacerated multiple organs, requiring immediate surgery.
- The journalist's prose lacerates the hypocrisy of modern consumer culture with surgical precision.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a race where runners get hurt: 'In the LAce Race, I might lacerate my knee.'
Conceptual Metaphor
EMOTIONAL PAIN IS PHYSICAL WOUNDING (e.g., 'Her words lacerated me').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'лакировать' (to varnish) - a false friend.
- Do not overuse as a direct translation for 'резать' (to cut) or 'ранить' (to wound) in casual contexts; it is too specific and formal.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'lacerate' for a clean surgical cut (incorrect).
- Using it in lighthearted or trivial contexts where 'scratch' or 'cut' is more appropriate.
- Misspelling as 'laccerate' or 'lacerite'.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the use of 'lacerate' MOST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is very commonly used in a figurative sense to describe causing severe emotional pain or delivering devastating criticism.
'Lacerate' implies a deep, jagged, and rough tear. 'Cut' is general and can be clean. 'Slash' implies a long, sweeping cut, often with intent.
Yes, the past participle 'lacerated' is frequently used adjectivally (e.g., a lacerated wound). The present participle 'lacerating' can also be adjectival (e.g., lacerating criticism).
No, it is a low-frequency, formal word. In everyday situations, people would more likely say 'cut badly,' 'tore,' or 'gashed' for physical injuries, and 'devastated' or 'tore apart' for emotional ones.
Explore