flay
verb /fleɪ/
/fleɪ/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they flay | /fleɪ/ /fleɪ/ |
| he / she / it flays | /fleɪz/ /fleɪz/ |
| past simple flayed | /fleɪd/ /fleɪd/ |
| past participle flayed | /fleɪd/ /fleɪd/ |
| -ing form flaying | /ˈfleɪɪŋ/ /ˈfleɪɪŋ/ |
- to remove the skin from an animal or person, usually when they are dead
- flay somebody/something The captured general was flayed alive.
- flay something from something They flayed the skin from the flesh.
- flay somebody to hit or whip somebody very hard so that some of their skin comes off
- flay somebody/yourself (formal) to criticize somebody/yourself severely
- He flayed himself for his lack of tact.
- Her dark eyes flayed him.
Word OriginOld English flēan, of Germanic origin; related to Middle Dutch vlaen.