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
The genocide allegation also rests on claims that Israel intentionally targeted civilians, but the study acknowledges civilian deaths while finding no evidence of a systematic policy of massacre. Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2025 The riots in the summer of 2024 had followed a stabbing massacre at a children's dance group in Southport by the teenage son of Rwandan immigrants. Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
Principals told to stop calling police chief There was so much chaos in the minutes after the gunman entered the classrooms and massacred the children and teachers inside that school police chief Arredondo called the district’s communication chief for help. Matthew J. Friedman, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025 Finally, the 2025 list massacred the stable of eligible plug-in hybrids. PC Magazine, 26 Aug. 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 10 Sep. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!