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
Cut to 28 days later, when Spike was rescued from a horde of infected by Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell), another original survivor who turned out to be the leader of a barbaric cult.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 3 Sep. 2025
An immigration judge issued this barbaric criminal a final order of removal on November 4, 1986.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2025
It’s been 22 months since Hamas launched one of the most barbaric terror attacks in modern history on Oct. 7, 2023.
—Benjamin Sharoni, Boston Herald, 13 Aug. 2025
Its barbaric climax is bloody and grotesque, but also hilarious, if only due to the characters causing such mayhem.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbaric
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Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 3 Sep. 2025
An immigration judge issued this barbaric criminal a final order of removal on November 4, 1986.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2025
It’s been 22 months since Hamas launched one of the most barbaric terror attacks in modern history on Oct. 7, 2023.
—Benjamin Sharoni, Boston Herald, 13 Aug. 2025
Its barbaric climax is bloody and grotesque, but also hilarious, if only due to the characters causing such mayhem.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 8 Aug. 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 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
barbaric
adjective
bar·bar·ic
bär-ˈbar-ik
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of barbarians
2
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