barbarian 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of barbariannext
as in savage
not civilized people who were regarded as barbarian by the ancient Romans

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

barbarian

2 of 2

noun

bär-ˈber-ē-ən How to pronounce barbarian (audio)
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

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 barbarian
Adjective
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 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
Noun
While the original action figure might at first glance look like a classic cartoon barbarian, the character and his world are a wild blend of science fiction, fantasy, action-adventure, and even comedy. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 2 June 2026 In the series adaptation, from creator, executive producer and co-showrunner Turner (Up In The Air, X-Men First Class), a ruthless and crass barbarian is cursed to only use his violence for good, which sends him, his talking axe and a young witch on a road of self discovery, redemption and revenge. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 13 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for barbarian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbarian
  1. savage
  2. primitive
  3. rude
  4. wild
  5. barbaric
  6. barbarous
  7. uncivilized
Adjective
  • The Yellow Death has disfigured the population, and soldiers in white-and-red tunics serve the savage Duke of Tviot.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
  • Josefowicz, in her decathlon of a performance, brought Ligeti’s savage discontinuities to the surface.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of savage
Noun
  • Each is a move to control more of the layer between the customer and the underlying financial primitive, whether that primitive is a card rail, a deposit account, or a stablecoin reserve.
    — Azeem Khan, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
  • What follows this admission is a piercing dissection not of the art itself, but of frameworks of looking at Black art and life that go beyond racist tropes disguised as appeals to the primitive, the spontaneous, the corporeal.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026
Definition of primitive
Adjective
  • It’s considered rude to answer one’s phone on public transport or in a restaurant, for example.
    — Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 4 July 2026
  • When healths were raised during the eighteenth century, it was considered rude or antisocial not to go along with them.
    — Brooke Barbier, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
Definition of rude
Adjective
  • The Royals beat the Mets 16-12 on Tuesday night in New York in their wildest game of the year.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2026
  • And the sequence started a wild end to the Dodgers’ first extra-innings game of the season.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of wild
Adjective
  • The entire barbaric Ukraine adventure will look like a catastrophe.
    — Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • In the film, which was based on a Pulitzer Prize nominated memoir, Betty escapes the clutches of her barbaric Iranian husband (played by Alfred Molina) and courageously smuggles herself and her daughter out of Iran.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 June 2026
Definition of barbaric
Adjective
  • The chaos in Ithaca may be political and ethical—a violation of custom—but stretches of the poem are barbarous and wild, beyond civilized life altogether.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026
  • Seeking to eliminate Berber forces in the barren mountains of northern Morocco, seven soldiers obediently follow their fanatical sergeant (Víctor Clavijo) into barbarous depths of depravity.
    — Ed Meza, Variety, 16 May 2026
Definition of barbarous
Adjective
  • But the show repeatedly undercuts that point of view by halfway reinforcing the age-old American assumption that crime is born of poor individual choices among an uncivilized populace, not of poverty, desperation, and preservation, both self and communal.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 27 June 2026
  • Colonial technology came for his kingdom, regardless, and the forces of modernity ended up demonizing those who didn’t embrace technology as backward and uncivilized.
    — Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2026
Definition of uncivilized

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barbarian
barbarianism
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Cite this Entry

“Barbarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbarian. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on barbarian

Nglish: Translation of barbarian for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about barbarian

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