barb

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈbärb 

1

: a medieval cloth headdress passing over or under the chin and covering the neck

2

a

: a sharp projection extending backward (as from the point of an arrow or fishhook) and preventing easy extraction

also : a sharp projection with its point similarly oblique to something else

b

: a biting or pointedly critical remark or comment

3

: barbel entry 2

4

: any of the side branches of the shaft of a feather see feather illustration

5

: a plant hair or bristle ending in a hook

barbless

ˈbärb-ləs 

adjective

barb

2 of 4

verb

barbed; barbing; barbs

transitive verb

: to furnish with a barb

barb

3 of 4

noun (2)

: any of a northern African breed of horses that are noted for speed and endurance

barb

4 of 4

noun (3)

slang

: barbiturate

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• affront
• brickbat
• cut
• dart
• dig
• dis [slang]
• diss
• epithet
• gird
• indignity
• insult
• name
• offense
• offence
• outrage
• personality
• poke
• put-down
• sarcasm
• slap
• slight
• slur

Examples of barb in a Sentence

Noun (1)

delivered one last barb to his ex-girlfriend as he stalked away

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Ted and Harvey are buddies, trading barbs and game plans. —Ayan Artan, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2025

Paxton and Cornyn have traded barbs back and forth for years, with the attorney general slamming Cornyn’s votes in favor of additional U.S. aid to Ukraine and bipartisan legislation on gun safety following the 2022 Uvalde school shooting. —Jared Gans, The Hill, 9 Apr. 2025

Verb

Lyrics that would normally slip through me on autopilot were now barbed and heavy. —Ryan Miller, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025

Instead of Jimmy Kimmel, a memorable host in the recent past with a keen appreciation for puncturing pretensions, there is Conan O’Brien who, while familiar, remains an unknown quantity in how politically barbed his opening monologue might be. —Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 25 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English barbe barb, beard, from Anglo-French, from Latin barba — more at beard

Noun (2)

French barbe, from Italian barbero, from barbero of Barbary, from Barberia Barbary, coastal region in Africa

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1759, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1610, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1955, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for barb

• arb
• barbe
• garb
• aldicarb
• rhubarb

Kids Definition

barb

noun

ˈbärb

1

a

: a sharp point that sticks out and backward (as from the point of an arrow or fishhook)

b

: any of various sharp parts (as the side branch of a feather) that stick out from a plant or animal

2

: an often witty remark intended to hurt a person's feelings

barbless

-ləs

adjective

Etymology

Noun

Middle English barbe "barb, beard," from early French barbe (same meaning), from Latin barba "beard" — related to barber

Medical Definition

barb

noun

ˈbärb 

slang

: barbiturate