massacre

1 of 2

noun

mas·​sa·​cre ˈma-si-kər How to pronounce massacre (audio)
1
: the act or an instance of killing a number of usually helpless or unresisting human beings under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty
witnessed the massacre of a boatload of refugees
2
: a cruel or wanton (see wanton entry 1 sense 1a) murder
3
: a wholesale slaughter of animals
Residents engaged in a citywide cat massacre.
4
: an act of complete destruction
the author's massacre of traditional federalist presuppositionsR. G. McCloskey
the Puritan massacre of statues and picturesRobert Hughes

massacre

2 of 2

verb

massacred; massacring ˈma-si-k(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce massacre (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to kill by massacre
2
: mangle sense 2
words were misspelled and syntax massacredBice Clemow
massacrer noun

Examples of massacre in a Sentence

Noun The game turned out to be a complete massacre. the infamous massacre of more than 200 Sioux at Wounded Knee, South Dakota Verb Hundreds have been massacred in the uprising. The other team really massacred us on Saturday. He really massacred that song.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Orlov also pointed her to Voit's location, leading to the hospital massacre and her abduction of Voit and Dr. Ochoa. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 10 July 2025 The season traces the brutal machinery of empire: propaganda, collaborators, betrayal and the looming massacre of civilians on Ghorman, a peaceful planet crushed for daring to protest. Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2025
Verb
As promised, High Commander Wharton (Josh Charles) has closed Jezebel's, circumventing the rebellion's plot to massacre Gilead's most unsavory leaders. Matt Cabral, EW.com, 6 May 2025 That immediately returns us to Salt Lake City, the place where Joel massacred the Fireflies to keep Ellie alive. Kris Holt, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for massacre

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle French

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of massacre was circa 1578

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Massacre.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/massacre. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

massacre

1 of 2 verb
mas·​sa·​cre ˈmas-i-kər How to pronounce massacre (audio)
massacred; massacring
-k(ə-)riŋ
: to kill in a massacre : slaughter
massacrer
-i-kər-ər
-i-krər
noun

massacre

2 of 2 noun
: the violent and cruel killing of a number of persons

More from Merriam-Webster on massacre

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