barbaric
adjective
bar·bar·ic
bär-ˈber-ik 
-ˈba-rik
1
a
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a group of people who are alien to another land, culture, or people and who are usually believed to be inferior : of, relating to, or characteristic of barbarians
b
: possessing or characteristic of a cultural level more complex than primitive (see primitive entry 1 sense 2c) culture but less sophisticated than advanced civilization (see civilization sense 1a)
2
a
: marked by a lack of restraint : wild
a barbaric use of color
b
: having a bizarre, primitive, or unsophisticated quality
… I sound my barbaric yawp …—
Walt Whitman
Walt Whitmanthe tangled, loose barbaric magnificence of the Elizabethan drama—Think
Think3
: barbarous sense 3
barbaric crimes
Examples of barbaric in a Sentence
Barbaric tribes invaded the area.
His table manners are barbaric.
They considered the custom barbaric.
The treatment of the prisoners was positively barbaric.
Recent Examples on the Web
Here instead were a new brand of barbaric creatures that could take chase at a terrifyingly relentless clip.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 16 June 2025
Many of the American soldiers who liberated the concentration camps were stunned that an advanced country like Germany could turn so barbaric.
—John Blake, CNN Money, 26 May 2025
But such practices didn’t jibe with increasingly modern economies, and colonialists, especially in North America, saw burning as both barbaric and a threat to industrialized capitalism.
—Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025
The October 7th barbaric attack created a compelling imperative for Israel to ensure Hamas could never again reign over Gaza or threaten Israel from there.
—Ehud Barak, Time, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbaric
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Megan McCluskey, Time, 16 June 2025
Many of the American soldiers who liberated the concentration camps were stunned that an advanced country like Germany could turn so barbaric.
—John Blake, CNN Money, 26 May 2025
But such practices didn’t jibe with increasingly modern economies, and colonialists, especially in North America, saw burning as both barbaric and a threat to industrialized capitalism.
—Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025
The October 7th barbaric attack created a compelling imperative for Israel to ensure Hamas could never again reign over Gaza or threaten Israel from there.
—Ehud Barak, Time, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbaric
Cite this Entry
“Barbaric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barbaric. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
barbaric
adjective
bar·bar·ic
bär-ˈbar-ik
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of barbarians
2
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share