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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in barbarian
not civilized
the barbaric forebears of modern mankind
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Recent Examples of barbaric
Its barbaric climax is bloody and grotesque, but also hilarious, if only due to the characters causing such mayhem.
—
Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 8 Aug. 2025
Russian forces appear not to have targeted the evacuation effort over the past three days, according to locals and rescuers, a rare moment of respite from the daily barbaric drone strikes on civilians across the city of recent months.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2025
The very soul of humanity is being scarred by Hamas’s barbaric actions.
—Efrat Lachter , David Hammelburg, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2025
The October 7 massacre was not merely an act of barbaric terrorism.
—Ami Ayalon, Foreign Affairs, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbaric
Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 8 Aug. 2025
Russian forces appear not to have targeted the evacuation effort over the past three days, according to locals and rescuers, a rare moment of respite from the daily barbaric drone strikes on civilians across the city of recent months.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2025
The very soul of humanity is being scarred by Hamas’s barbaric actions.
—Efrat Lachter , David Hammelburg, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2025
The October 7 massacre was not merely an act of barbaric terrorism.
—Ami Ayalon, Foreign Affairs, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbaric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbaric
Adjective
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Take the quiz here … KICKED TO THE CURB – Super Bowl hero cut from 49ers roster after brutal Week 1 performance.—
,
FOXNews.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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While released, Horton committed another horrific crime – a brutal home invasion and rape.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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The cruel irony is that the very systems designed to promote inclusion can inadvertently reinforce exclusion.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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And of course, to serve as cruel juxtaposition, deGrom retired the Mets in order in the bottom of the inning on just six pitches.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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These particular coffee-shop customers picked the wrong day to be rude, though.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
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Meanwhile, the Lions give a rude welcome back to Ben Johnson, while the 49ers run over the Saints.—
Vic Tafur,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This thrilling prequel stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa and Alyla Browne as young Furiosa, who is abducted by the savage warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) — leader of the Biker Horde — and spends the next decade in captivity plotting her revenge and escape.—
Charlotte Walsh,
People.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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There was a time when loving someone of the wrong gender could result in harassment, arrest or a savage beating.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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And best of all is the way its cocktail of growth factors, peptides, collagen amino acids, and wild yam extract comes together to bring baby cheeks–levels of plumpness to your skin.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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That cost them a chance to truly challenge the Phillies in the division and thrust them into a dogfight for the NL’s last wild-card spot.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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As and when evidence against that narrative comes out, either via six monthly reports or from some other source, the crash in the stock price will be more vicious than otherwise.—
Shivaram Rajgopal,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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In these homes, the conflict between budgeting and feeding kids well creates huge psychological stress for parents, which can lead to anxiety and depression, fueling the vicious cycle of stress and unhealthy eating, Beresin said.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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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
Cite this Entry
“Barbaric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbaric. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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