When is it used?
When is it used?
Literally, écorché vif (for a man)/écorchée vive (for a woman) means skinned alive (used as a punishment in the past dark ages...).
But the idea is that figuratively, it means that without your skin, you'd feel everything harder, stronger, with more pain, as if you were extremely sensitive.
Example:
Cette personne est un écorché vif.
This is a hypersensitive man.
Also, it can be seen as the result of it. If someone is hypersensitive, he/she will be under constant emotional states of mind.
Example:
Je suis comme écorchée vive.
I'm a tormented soul.