barbarous
adjective
bar·ba·rous
ˈbär-b(ə-)rəs 
1
a
b
: lacking culture or refinement : philistine
2
: characterized by the occurrence of barbarisms
barbarous language
3
: mercilessly harsh or cruel
barbarous crimes
barbarously
adverb
barbarousness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of barbarous in a Sentence
a monarch resorting to whatever barbarous means he deemed necessary to protect his throne
an aunt who abhors barbarous behavior such as eating with your fingers
Recent Examples on the Web
But when the barbarous scale of Hamas’s October 7 attacks on Israel became clear, staying silent ceased to be an option, reports my colleague Elliott Gotkine.
—
Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 23 Oct. 2023
The coalition behind the sanctions against Russia is broad, wealthy, and militarily powerful, and its objective of ending Russia’s barbarous war is widely shared, even by those not participating in the sanctions.
—Carla Norrlöf, Foreign Affairs, 21 Feb. 2023
Saudi Arabia, like most of the world’s barbarous regimes, looked at the 2022 World Cup—held in Qatar, another repressive state—and saw a massive success.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 6 June 2023
Three days after a barbarous playground attack left the lakeside town in grief and shock, and in an amphitheater facing the public park where the tragedy occurred, the Annecy Intl.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 11 June 2023
Alito’s opinion is barbarous and cruel.
—Washington Post, 3 May 2022
Alyokhina writes frankly about the barbarous conditions and treatment in a prison system deemed by human rights groups, including Amnesty International, as one of the worst in the world.
—Lindsay Schnell, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2022
And the pagan warriors’ attacks on Christian monasteries no doubt cemented their barbarous reputation.
—Molly Glick, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2021
Guatemala’s dictator Efrain Rios Montt came to power in a coup in 1982, and within three months of his barbarous rule some 10,000 people were slaughtered.
—Steven Levingston, Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2022
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Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 23 Oct. 2023
The coalition behind the sanctions against Russia is broad, wealthy, and militarily powerful, and its objective of ending Russia’s barbarous war is widely shared, even by those not participating in the sanctions.
—Carla Norrlöf, Foreign Affairs, 21 Feb. 2023
Saudi Arabia, like most of the world’s barbarous regimes, looked at the 2022 World Cup—held in Qatar, another repressive state—and saw a massive success.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 6 June 2023
Three days after a barbarous playground attack left the lakeside town in grief and shock, and in an amphitheater facing the public park where the tragedy occurred, the Annecy Intl.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 11 June 2023
Alito’s opinion is barbarous and cruel.
—Washington Post, 3 May 2022
Alyokhina writes frankly about the barbarous conditions and treatment in a prison system deemed by human rights groups, including Amnesty International, as one of the worst in the world.
—Lindsay Schnell, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2022
And the pagan warriors’ attacks on Christian monasteries no doubt cemented their barbarous reputation.
—Molly Glick, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2021
Guatemala’s dictator Efrain Rios Montt came to power in a coup in 1982, and within three months of his barbarous rule some 10,000 people were slaughtered.
—Steven Levingston, Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'barbarous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Latin barbarus, from Greek barbaros foreign, ignorant
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of barbarous was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near barbarous
Cite this Entry
“Barbarous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barbarous. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
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