Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'excoriate'

English Word: excoriate

Key Russian Translations:

• осуждать /ɐˈsuʒdətʲ/ - [Formal, used in contexts involving moral or ethical criticism]
• обличать /ɐˈblʲitɕətʲ/ - [Formal, often implies exposing wrongdoing publicly]
• разгромить /rɐzɡrɐˈmʲitʲ/ - [Informal, emphasizes severe or destructive criticism]

Frequency: Medium (This verb is commonly used in formal writing, media, and discussions but not in everyday casual conversation.)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of Russian verb conjugations and formal language structures. For 'осуждать', it's B2; for 'обличать', it might lean towards B2-C1 due to its nuanced connotations.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

осуждать: /ɐˈsuʒdətʲ/

Note on осуждать: The stress falls on the second syllable ('suʒ-'). Be mindful of the soft 'ж' sound, which can be challenging for non-native speakers. Variations in regional accents may soften the consonants.

обличать: /ɐˈblʲitɕətʲ/

Note on обличать: The 'ч' is pronounced as a soft 'ch' sound; stress is on the second syllable. This word often has a more emphatic delivery in spoken Russian.

разгромить: /rɐzɡrɐˈmʲitʲ/

Note on разгромить: Stress on the third syllable; the initial 'р' is rolled, which is standard in Russian pronunciation.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To criticize severely or condemn harshly

Translation(s) & Context:

• осуждать - Typically used in formal or professional contexts, such as legal, political, or ethical discussions, to express strong disapproval.
• обличать - Applied in situations involving public exposure of faults, often in journalism or activism, with a sense of moral outrage.
• разгромить - More informal, used in critiques of ideas, works, or performances, implying a thorough dismantling.

Usage Examples:

• Журналист осуждает коррупцию в высших кругах власти.

  The journalist excoriates corruption in the highest echelons of power.

• В своей речи она обличает несправедливость социальной системы.

  In her speech, she excoriates the injustice of the social system.

• Критики разгромили новый фильм за слабый сюжет.

  Critics excoriated the new film for its weak plot.

• Он осуждает действия правительства в прессе, призывая к реформам.

  He excoriates the government's actions in the press, calling for reforms.

• Активисты обличают экологические нарушения на митинге.

  Activists excoriate environmental violations at the rally.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

All key translations are verbs, which in Russian undergo conjugation based on tense, aspect, person, and number. 'Осуждать' and 'обличать' are imperfective verbs, while 'разгромить' is perfective. Below is a sample conjugation table for 'осуждать' (imperfective) and 'разгромить' (perfective).

Note: 'Обличать' follows a similar imperfective pattern to 'осуждать'. These verbs are regular in most aspects but may have aspectual pairs (e.g., 'осудить' as the perfective of 'осуждать').

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • Критиковать (kritikovat' - to criticize, more general and less intense)
  • Порицать (poritsat' - to denounce, with a moral undertone)
  • Осуждать - as above, but can be interchanged in formal contexts with slight differences in emphasis.
• Antonyms:
  • Хвалить (khalit' - to praise)
  • Одобрять (odobrят' - to approve)

Related Phrases:

• Осуждать публично (osuzhdat' publichno) - To condemn publicly; used in contexts of open criticism, such as protests.
• Обличать ложь (oblichat' lozh') - To expose lies; common in investigative journalism.
• Разгромить оппонента (razgromit' opponenta) - To demolish an opponent; informal for debating or arguing.

Usage Notes:

'Excoriate' translates most directly to 'осуждать' in formal English-Russian contexts, but choose 'обличать' for scenarios involving revelation of hidden wrongs. These verbs are aspectually paired in Russian (e.g., 'осуждать' is imperfective, implying ongoing action, while 'осудить' is perfective for completed action). Be cautious with register: 'разгромить' is less formal and may sound aggressive in professional settings. English learners should note that Russian verbs require agreement in person and number, unlike English.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using 'осуждать' in the wrong aspect, e.g., saying "Я осуждать" instead of "Я осуждаю". Correct: Always conjugate properly, as in "Я осуждаю коррупцию". Explanation: Russian verbs must agree with the subject; omitting conjugation makes the sentence grammatically incorrect.
• Mistake: Confusing 'осуждать' with 'осуждать' in perfective form without context, e.g., "Он осуждать вчера" (incorrect). Correct: Use 'осудил' for past perfective: "Он осудил вчера". Explanation: Aspect is crucial in Russian to indicate whether an action is completed or ongoing.
• Mistake: Overusing 'разгромить' in formal writing. Correct: Opt for 'осуждать' in essays; reserve 'разгромить' for casual reviews. Explanation: This ensures appropriate tone and avoids sounding unprofessional.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'осуждать' and 'обличать' often appear in contexts of social criticism, reflecting a historical emphasis on public discourse and moral accountability, as seen in literature by authors like Dostoevsky. These terms can carry a weight of intellectual or revolutionary connotation, especially in post-Soviet discussions of governance and ethics.

Related Concepts:

• Критика (kritika - criticism)
• Порицание (poritsanie - condemnation)
• Обвинение (obvinenie - accusation)