barbaric

adjective

bär-ˈber-ik How to pronounce barbaric (audio)
Definition of barbaricnext
1
as in brutal
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others a barbaric dictator who tortured his own people with no qualms

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in barbarian
not civilized the barbaric forebears of modern mankind

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 barbaric How could anyone do this dastardly, inhumane, barbaric escape? — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2026 The jail in Rostov was less barbaric but no less stultifying. — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 Maggie Greene was introduced in The Walking Dead season 2 as an open-hearted survivor who was just beginning to grapple with the barbaric nature of her new reality after the Wildfire virus decimates humanity. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 25 July 2026 The entire barbaric Ukraine adventure will look like a catastrophe. — Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for barbaric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbaric
  1. brutal
  2. barbarian
  3. cruel
  4. rude
  5. savage
  6. wild
  7. vicious
  8. barbarous
Adjective
  • Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles is fighting for his job security after a brutal start to the season.
    — Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • There’s the brutal heat; the skin destroying UV-rays of that miserable, scorching, eye-blinding sun; the constant allergy/sinusitis issues that NEVER let up; the smothering humidity.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of brutal
Adjective
  • Language would have been a part of the divide between Roman and barbarian.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 June 2026
  • For the design of the barbarian figure, Sweet reached out to Mark Taylor, an artist and designer at Mattel.
    — Sanat Pai RaikarAll, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 May 2026
Definition of barbarian
Adjective
  • The offbeat, cruel cadence of the bit reminded me of classic Update Norm Macdonald.
    — Charu Sinha, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The misery of the situation could feel overwhelming, even cruel, but Cahyono’s observation of Sumiati’s struggles is humane and sympathetic.
    — Kambole Campbell, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • No rude reality intrudes on Avedon’s dream city, where the women are beautiful and in love and even the bystanders are charmed.
    — Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Which was frankly rude, since it’s been living in my house for a decade.
    — Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of rude
Adjective
  • The Indian pilot who fought off a savage attack by his copilot and helped prevent an apparent hijack of a Flydubai plane heading to Israel with more than 170 people on board is being hailed as a hero.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index weathered a savage 30% drawdown, has been choppily trendless for two months, then in recent days finally broke above its downtrend and surmounted the 50-day moving average.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of savage
Adjective
  • Rush’s musical complexity leaned towards proggy adventures with time signatures and song structure, while Steely Dan were more inclined to wedge wild stacks of jazz chords into pop songs.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Bears, wild pigs, mountain lions and coyotes were at the top of the list in California, according to the study.
    — Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of wild
Adjective
  • On a blistering surprise EP, Deafheaven find the vicious attack and grandiose drama of symphonic black metal perfectly suited to their purposes.
    — Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Lynch was on the outside trying to gather herself after the vicious table slam.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of vicious
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

Browse Nearby Words

barbarians
barbaric
barbarism
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Cite this Entry

“Barbaric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbaric. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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