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Prepositions after adjectives

Scathing about, in or of?

Scathing about and scathing of are standard when describing strong criticism. Scathing in is usually used before the area or style of criticism, not the target.

Quick answer

How to use scathing

Use scathing about or scathing of to identify the person, idea, or thing being criticised. Use scathing in to describe the manner or area of criticism, such as scathing in her review.

She was scathing about the new policy.
The article was scathing of the company's leadership.
He was scathing in his comments.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
scathing about + subject

Criticising a topic directly

Use scathing about before the thing being criticised.

The reviewer was scathing about the film.
She became scathing about the delays.
2
scathing of + person or thing

Describing harsh judgement

Scathing of is formal but standard, especially in journalism and reviews.

The report was scathing of senior management.
Critics were scathing of the redesign.
3
scathing in + context

Describing the manner of criticism

Use scathing in before words like comments, tone, review, or assessment.

She was scathing in her evaluation.
The editor became scathing in his response.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
scathing about
He was scathing about the proposal.
Direct criticism of a topic.
scathing of
The article was scathing of the minister.
Formal criticism aimed at someone or something.
scathing in
She was scathing in her review.
Describes the style or context of criticism, not the target.
critical of
They were critical of the decision.
A less intense alternative to scathing of.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using scathing in before the criticised target

Scathing in normally introduces the context or style of criticism, not the target itself.

✕ She was scathing in the policy. ✓ She was scathing about the policy.

Using about after a review noun incorrectly

When the noun already expresses the context, in is more natural.

✕ He was scathing about his review. ✓ He was scathing in his review.

Using scathing without a clear target or context

Add the subject or context of the criticism for clarity.

✓ The report was scathing of the agency.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The newspaper was ___ the government's response.
2. She was ___ her comments during the interview.
3. The report was ___ company leadership.

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Frequently asked questions

Is scathing of formal?

Yes. It is common in formal writing, journalism, and reviews.

Can I say scathing towards?

It appears occasionally, but scathing about and scathing of are more standard.

What does scathing mean?

Scathing means extremely critical and harsh.

sacred-to-in-by-of, for "sad for" or "sad about"? "safe for", "safe from" or "safe in"? sanguine about, in, of, on or for? "satisfactory to" or "satisfactory for"? satisfied with, of, by, in or on? "satisfying for" or "satisfying to"? scarce in, for, at, on or of? scared of, to, about, for or by? "scary for" or "scary to"? "sceptical about" or "sceptical of"? searchable by, on, in, via or through?

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