flay
/fleɪ/ (bre, ipa) · /fleɪ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈflā/ (ame, mw)
flay — verb
- flaypresent simple I / you / we / they
- flayshe / she / it
- flayedpast simple
- flaying-ing form
1. to peel away the outer skin of a person or an animal, almost always when the bod
to peel away the outer skin of a person or an animal, almost always when the body is already dead and being prepared for use of the meat or hide
The hunter taught Cyrus how to flay the deer before cutting the meat.
transitive: flay + animal object
On the wall hung a flayed rabbit skin that Amani would later stretch and dry.
past participle as adjective: flayed + body part
Eliska watched her grandfather flay the sheep with a small curved knife.
In the old story, soldiers threatened to flay the prisoner alive if he refused to speak.
The butcher's son learned to flay carcasses cleanly before his tenth birthday.
文法句型
flay + object (animal or carcass)
用法筆記
Object is almost always an animal or a dead body; very rare in modern conversation outside hunting, butchering, or historical/fictional violence.
常見錯誤
2. to beat someone, or an animal, with a whip or stick so violently that pieces of
to beat someone, or an animal, with a whip or stick so violently that pieces of skin are torn from the body
In the harsh prison camp, guards would flay anyone caught trying to escape.
flay + person (institutional violence)
The cruel overseer flayed Talia's back with a leather whip until she fainted.
flay + body part + with + instrument
Old sailors told stories of captains who flayed their crew for the smallest mistake.
The novel describes how Min was flayed in public as a warning to other slaves.
文法句型
flay + person/animal (with whip or lash)
用法筆記
Almost always historical or literary; modern English speakers describe a real beating with 'whip' or 'lash'. Distinguish from sense 1 by the presence of a whip or stick rather than a knife.
常見錯誤
3. to attack someone or their work in speech or writing with extremely harsh and de
to attack someone or their work in speech or writing with extremely harsh and detailed criticism, as if tearing them apart
The film critic flayed the new comedy for its lazy jokes and weak ending.
flay + creative work + for + reason
Senator Ramón flayed the opposition party in a fifteen-minute speech on national television.
flay + political opponent (public attack)
Newspaper columnists flayed the mayor after she ignored the flood warnings.
The professor flayed Joaquín's essay in front of the whole class, calling every paragraph sloppy.
文法句型
flay + person/work (in words or writing)
用法筆記
Used mainly in journalism, criticism, and political commentary; carries a stronger and more sustained tone than 'criticize'. Subject is typically a critic, reviewer, columnist, or rival speaker.