as in savage
not civilized
people who were regarded as barbarian by the ancient Romans
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in primitive
an uncivilized person
the invading Germanic tribes were viewed as barbarians by the citizens of ancient Rome
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of barbarian
Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 10 June 2025
Based on the best-selling comic book series, the fantasy follows barbarian huntress Red Sonja, who must unite a group of unlikely warriors to face off against the evil tyrant Emperor Draygan and his deadly bride, Dark Annisia.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 21 July 2025
The barbarians at the gates are just asset managers now — big, and a bit boring.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbarian
Adjective
Built on the site of an ancient Roman fortress that protected the empire from barbarian invasion, the castle was constructed between the 11th and 14th centuries.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 10 June 2025
Based on the best-selling comic book series, the fantasy follows barbarian huntress Red Sonja, who must unite a group of unlikely warriors to face off against the evil tyrant Emperor Draygan and his deadly bride, Dark Annisia.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025
Noun
This barbarian conceptualized this atrocity and brought it to reality.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 21 July 2025
The barbarians at the gates are just asset managers now — big, and a bit boring.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbarian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbarian
Adjective
-
The Edmund Fitzgerald was caught in a savage storm with hurricane-force winds around 100-mile-an-hour and waves up to 60 feet, crashing down on the freighter every four to eight seconds, says Bacon.—
NPR,
NPR,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Here, spiritual infractions are met with savage physical punishment and some of the more grotesque images in recent horror memory (which, as the genre has become ever more popular and emboldened, is seriously saying something).—
Dennis Perkins,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Burlington Antique Show Browse more than 200 dealers of antiques, vintage jewelry, primitives, garden and architectural elements, mid-century collectibles, memorabilia, Americana and retro/vintage furniture at this monthly outdoor antique market.—
Luann Gibbs,
The Enquirer,
14 Aug. 2024
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It can be used to achieve a lot of other cryptographic primitives.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
1 Aug. 2024
Adjective
-
People who are rude or unaware with receptionists can poison your culture, create unnecessary hierarchies, and drive your best people to leave.—
Jessica Neal,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
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In a post on the AITA subreddit, the original poster (OP) explained that her sister, 34, who's always rude to her, has a 6-year-old son.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Seek out wild places and remember that your body is not made to be hacked or optimized but to connect you to the earth beneath your feet.—
Tyler Austin Harper,
The Atlantic,
11 Nov. 2025
-
What’s even wilder, even more mind-blowing about this barrage of bricks?—
The Athletic NBA Staff,
New York Times,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Other states’ ‘Black Laws’ Southern legislatures imposed barbaric laws on Black residents, whether enslaved or free, for centuries.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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The blurring of lines around belief seems to surface our barbaric gears.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
In the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis, a man dressed as a cop shot two Democratic lawmakers and their spouses, killing the DFL speaker of the House and her husband in a barbarous (and politically motivated) atrocity.—
Jeffrey Blehar,
National Review,
14 June 2025
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The barbarous relic has glittered amidst the financial carnage.—
Brett Owens,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
Adjective
-
This sort of rhetoric only adds to the hysterical nature of contemporary politics, giving respectability to uncivilized behavior.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
10 Sep. 2025
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Under the Omanis, Zanzibar grew rich selling spices, ivory, and slaves, mostly non-Muslims from the interior, whom the island’s élites derided as washenzi, or uncivilized.—
Julian Lucas,
The New Yorker,
17 Oct. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Barbarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbarian. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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