Synonym Chooser

How is the word barbarous different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of barbarous are cruel, ferocious, fierce, and savage. While all these words mean "showing fury or malignity in looks or actions," barbarous implies a ferocity or mercilessness regarded as unworthy of civilized people.

barbarous treatment of prisoners

When might cruel be a better fit than barbarous?

The words cruel and barbarous can be used in similar contexts, but cruel implies indifference to suffering and even positive pleasure in inflicting it.

the cruel jokes of schoolboys

When is ferocious a more appropriate choice than barbarous?

In some situations, the words ferocious and barbarous are roughly equivalent. However, ferocious implies extreme fierceness and unrestrained violence and brutality.

a ferocious dog

When is it sensible to use fierce instead of barbarous?

While in some cases nearly identical to barbarous, fierce applies to humans and animals that inspire terror because of their wild and menacing aspect or fury in attack.

fierce warriors

When can savage be used instead of barbarous?

The words savage and barbarous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, savage implies the absence of inhibitions restraining civilized people filled with rage, lust, or other violent passion.

a savage criminal

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of barbarous Any slip-up or act of insubordination, no matter how small, results in immediate death from the barbarous SS members running the camp. Josh Weiss, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025 How does Reed manage to revisit some of the world’s most barbarous acts without succumbing to despair? K.j. Yossman, Variety, 9 Oct. 2024 Treating barbarous body horror as something embedded in us deeper than the mutual love of a partner, especially when it’s done without the theatrical or exploitation trappings, makes for one of the New French Extremity’s most troubling works. Rory Doherty, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024 Experts told PolitiFact such narratives painting Haiti as a barbarous country are not new and are racist attempts to dehumanize Haitians. Jeff Cercone, Austin American-Statesman, 14 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for barbarous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbarous
Adjective
  • Marvell had a brutal start to the year, in part due to worries about its custom chip business, but shares have been creeping up lately.
    Jim Cramer, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2025
  • The Dallas Cowboys are fresh off of a brutal blowout loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 3.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Bailey plays half-elf ranger Vex, O’Brien is her twin brother Vax, Willingham is the lovable barbarian Grog, Johnson is the holy gnome cleric Pike, Jaffe is the royal gunslinger Percy, Ray is magical half-elf druid Keyleth and Riegel is the raunchy gnome bard Scanlan.
    Jordan Moreau, Variety, 24 July 2025
  • The economy will not thrive on backward, barbarian technologies and our babies will suffer from the burden of debt, bad air and blackouts.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • In a cruel exercise, each kid is provided with a pack of basic supplies and made to hike 50 miles through the wilderness to the top of Mount Otis.
    Erin Qualey, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Community leader Araya Amsalu, who helped coordinate a vigil following the shooting, said knowing Eden had gone to law enforcement about Ericksen before made the shooting feel even more cruel.
    Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Crowd in New York has been bordered on rude; embarrassing!
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Protecting speech for all requires great tolerance for the vulgar, rude, offensive, angry, mean and, yes, even hateful.
    The Detroit News Editorial Board, Twin Cities, 24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in Israel on October 7, 2023, and took more than 250 hostages in a savage attack.
    Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Hamas are a bunch of savage animals.
    Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Since 2020, the center has cared for 16 mountain lions as well as thousands of other wild animals from baby songbirds to coyotes to bears.
    Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Sep. 2025
  • The second is for wild rubber, which consists of working with some 3,000 families that live in the middle of the Amazon forest.
    Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • This pervasive fragmentation creates a vicious cycle.
    Emeka Ajene, semafor.com, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Two officers responded and learned the teen had barricaded himself inside the upper unit of the duplex with several vicious dogs, according to a search warrant.
    Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Unique camping options include wooden platform sites and primitive tent areas, plus cabins for overnight stays.
    Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Sep. 2025
  • The Coming Labor Revolution Makes Events Essential The next five years will bring changes that make today’s AI implementations look primitive.
    Shawn Pierce, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Barbarous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbarous. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.

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