1
as in brutal
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others
a barbaric dictator who tortured his own people with no qualms
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in barbarian
not civilized
the barbaric forebears of modern mankind
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of barbaric
The most criminal and barbaric ‘migrant horde’ to invade America was from Europe.
—
Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2025
Is the 'barbaric' method making a comeback?
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025
The German occupiers, however, acted with barbaric brutality, exterminating local Jewish populations and starving to death approximately two million Soviet prisoners of war by March 1942.
—Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
If Russia instead suffers economically, the invasion will be seen as a self-defeating, barbaric blunder.
—Andrew Kosenko, Foreign Affairs, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbaric
Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2025
Is the 'barbaric' method making a comeback?
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025
The German occupiers, however, acted with barbaric brutality, exterminating local Jewish populations and starving to death approximately two million Soviet prisoners of war by March 1942.
—Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
If Russia instead suffers economically, the invasion will be seen as a self-defeating, barbaric blunder.
—Andrew Kosenko, Foreign Affairs, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbaric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbaric
Adjective
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But graduating in 2009 meant stepping into a brutal job market during the Great Recession.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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Andrews adds musical interludes, which don’t always work, and brutal jokes, which do.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In contrast, East Asia witnessed a 300-year period of peace between the 1590s and 1894, broken only by defensive engagements against barbarian incursions and five fairly small two-state wars.—
Michael Mann,
Foreign Affairs,
13 Feb. 2012
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Based on the best-selling comic book series, the fantasy follows barbarian huntress Red Sonja, who must unite a group of unlikely warriors to face off against the evil tyrant Emperor Draygan and his deadly bride, Dark Annisia.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Everybody else has no choice, really, other than to bring a cruel, narcissistic far-right leader to power.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2025
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The cruelest part is that the good ones are mixed with the bad ones.—
Matt Rivers,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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My question: Was there any way to have prevented this rude woman from stealing away all of my guests? GENTLE READER: Counter-questions: Did the boss and his wife drop the guests off before the emergency furniture move?—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2025
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Since then, the stepmother has proved to be mean and rude on multiple occasions, the bride wrote.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
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The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
Adjective
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This behavior mimics their wild ancestors, who would ambush prey from above or perch in trees to avoid danger.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
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Monday night’s draft commences the 2025 WNBA campaign, which comes on the heels of an all-time wild offseason.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This was a vicious weaponization of your government.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
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Shauna may be the vicious Antler Queen now, but Lottie also played a role in Mari’s death.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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How does Reed manage to revisit some of the world’s most barbarous acts without succumbing to despair?—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
9 Oct. 2024
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Any slip-up or act of insubordination, no matter how small, results in immediate death from the barbarous SS members running the camp.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barbaric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbaric. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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