lac·er·ate
ˈla-sə-ˌrāt 
lacerated; lacerating
1
: to tear or rend roughly : wound jaggedly
2
: to cause sharp mental or emotional pain to : distress
lac·er·ate
ˈla-sə-rət
-ˌrāt
-ˌrāt
variants
or lacerated
1
a
: torn jaggedly : mangled
b
: extremely harrowed or distracted
2
: having the edges deeply and irregularly cut
a lacerate petal
Examples of lacerate in a Sentence
Verb
The broken glass lacerated his feet.
The patient's hand was severely lacerated.
Recent Examples on the Web
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
This is another trait of Mr. McNally’s: lacerating self-analysis, paired with knowing humor.
—Sarah Lyall, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Ralph D. Russo, The Athletic, 15 Dec. 2024
The Georgia native suffered a lacerated liver in the Buffs’ win over CSU in the 2023 Rocky Mountain Showdown and missed three games, returning for a 46-43 home loss to Stanford.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 12 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for lacerate
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Verb
McQuarrie peppers snippets of the earlier films throughout, resurfacing not just moments of high-octane action but also lacerating losses.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
This is another trait of Mr. McNally’s: lacerating self-analysis, paired with knowing humor.
—Sarah Lyall, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Adjective
Again, Hunter was limited to nine games in 2023, this time after taking a late hit against Colorado State that left him with a lacerated liver.
—Ralph D. Russo, The Athletic, 15 Dec. 2024
The Georgia native suffered a lacerated liver in the Buffs’ win over CSU in the 2023 Rocky Mountain Showdown and missed three games, returning for a 46-43 home loss to Stanford.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 12 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for lacerate
Cite this Entry
“Lacerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lacerate. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
lacerate
transitive verb
lac·er·ate
ˈlas-ə-ˌrāt
lacerated; lacerating
: to tear or rend roughly : wound jaggedly
a lacerated spleen
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