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 of barb

Noun (1)

• insult
• sarcasm

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

The core cast gathers around the table to trade barbs over a Thanksgiving meal gone wrong and offers viewers a look at a family of friends together for the holiday. —Allison Sadlier, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Nov. 2025

The meeting follows months of acrimony between the two New Yorkers, who have traded barbs since Mamdani’s primary victory in June. —Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 21 Nov. 2025

Verb

And the more official the rules became, the more an underground language—humorous, grotesque, barbed—rose up in protest. —Literary Hub, 24 Nov. 2025

His take on the professional star whisperer, ready to drop everything for his client in a nanosecond and able to coax him out of funks via endless distractions, is neither cloyingly affectionate nor barbed. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 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