to lacerate

Examples

• All

• He lacerated his soul the way he'd been taught by his mother to tug a fine-toothed steel comb through his coarse, oily hair: never less than once.

  Fiction book (1991)

• The words had lacerated me like knives.

  Fiction book (1994)

• She lacerates herself with memory.

  Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)

• Here was an aggravation to the already lacerated feelings of the injured man.

  Blog text (9)

• Her words lacerated.

  Fiction book (1998)

• Her voice grew harsher, and the humiliation and bitterness lay like an open wound, still lacerated, still pouring blood.

  Fiction book (1990)

• Suddenly, horrified, I find myself flat on the ground, far from her head and torso (which, although terribly destroyed, were still coherent enough to recall her face, her being, her sublime, though lacerated, beauty).

  Fiction book (1996)

• The harsh words from her friend lacerated her deeply, leaving her heartbroken.

• Memories of the past can lacerate the soul, causing pain long after the events have passed.

• His criticism lacerated her confidence, making her doubt her abilities.

Synonyms

W

to wound

vsto lacerate

110 5.7

To hurt a person's feelings deeply

is a harsher term implying a more sudden and severe emotional cutting

T

to traumatize

vsto lacerate

87 6.9

To cause someone to feel very shocked and upset

is deep emotional hurting without implying clinical long term shock

I

to injure

vsto lacerate

52 2.5

Hurt someone's feelings by saying or doing something

is stronger and deeper emotional harm rather than general offending

P

to pain

vsto lacerate

45 4.9

To make someone feel sad or upset

is more intense and wounds deeply rather than causing general sadness

B

to break someone's heart

vsto lacerate

• Informal

34 3.4

To make someone very sad because of love or disappointment

is a general deep emotional harm not limited to romantic loss

B

to bruise

vsto lacerate

• Informal

33 4.2

To hurt someone's feelings or pride

is deeper and more painful emotional damage than a mere hurt to pride

S

to sting

vsto lacerate

26 3.3

To feel sharp emotional pain after someone says something hurtful

is deeper and longer lasting emotional damage rather than quick pain

H

to have a sting

vsto lacerate

1 7.1

To cause a sharp feeling of hurt that lasts for a while

is deeper painful injury rather than a milder persistent discomfort

C

to cut to the quick

vsto lacerate

• Literature

1 7.9

To hurt someone's feelings very deeply

is deeper and more lasting emotional harm than a brief sharp hurt

L

to lace into

vsto lacerate

• NSFW

8.5

Criticize or attack someone strongly

is emotional damaging hurt rather than a forceful verbal attack

Antonyms

C

to comfort

172 1.0

To make someone feel less upset or in pain

C

to console

40 3.9

To comfort someone who feels sad or disappointed

How Hurtful

to devastate

221 4.9

to lacerate

1 7.6

to hurt

∞ 1.0

to upset

362 1.0

to bother

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology