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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of barbaric
What kind of barbaric regime puts a school for little girls in a compound that used to be military?
—
Arkansas Online, 14 Mar. 2026
Is there any knowing what would have happened, had these crimes not been captured in all their barbaric glory?
—Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026
Then there's all the additional atrocities she's been exposed to this season, like the barbaric violence of the Legion.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
These brave people have been risking their lives daily to protest this barbaric regime for more than two weeks now.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for barbaric
Arkansas Online, 14 Mar. 2026
Is there any knowing what would have happened, had these crimes not been captured in all their barbaric glory?
—Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026
Then there's all the additional atrocities she's been exposed to this season, like the barbaric violence of the Legion.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
These brave people have been risking their lives daily to protest this barbaric regime for more than two weeks now.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for barbaric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbaric
Adjective
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The creature-feature horror film plunges into the jungles of the Dominican Republic, where a group of road workers battling brutal conditions encounter the Ciguapa — a terrifying figure from local folklore with backward feet and the power to possess men through her gaze.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
15 May 2026
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Anyone familiar with the show knows what comes next probably won't be pretty, but even diehard fans will be shocked by how brutal Scattered Hopes can be.—
Ian Stokes,
Space.com,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
When the Western Roman Empire fell in the fifth century C.E., Europe was plunged into chaos as barbarian Germanic forces advanced south—or so the story goes.—
Emma Gometz,
Scientific American,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In Sylvie’s imagination, Nita becomes Anna, a sultry beauty with a cruel streak who has been dating the meek Christophe (Niney) while secretly engaging in an affair with their married boss, Pierre (Cassel).—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
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The first major climb of any Grand Tour is usually a cruel dose of reality — where teams, having built around a rider over the previous week, suddenly realise those sacrifices might have been in vain.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Petrie didn’t only celebrate his own hits but pointed to rival shows like Sky’s Saturday Night Live UK and Prime Video’s Last One Laughing as proof that British comedy is in rude health.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
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Elizabeth continues to be an infuriating character, interrupting with rude and unhelpful asides throughout the entire family meeting, casually gnawing on an orange slice as Greg and Katie have a heart-to-heart across the table.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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Take George Mullins — 18 years old at the battle of Carentan, one of the most savage engagements of the war, where his company lost 43 of its 45 men in three days of fighting.—
Afdhel Aziz,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
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The perpetrators of these crimes are savage animals without a shred of humanity.—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
White Sox fans got the last laugh on Sunday afternoon as their squad completed a wild, thrilling comeback victory over their crosstown rivals.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
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Ebola virus is transmitted to people from wild animals, such as fruit bats, porcupines and non-human primates, with fruit bats believed to be the natural hosts of the orthoebolavirus.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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The story follows a Lebanese family caught in debts and schemes that drag them in a vicious cycle that tests their unity.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
13 May 2026
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But the score was a costly one since the penalty that sent up the goal — a vicious hit from defenseman Brayden McNabb — knocked Ducks forward Ryan Poehling out of the game.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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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
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Lies told by people who are simply too afraid to look at such an ugly, barbarous reality.—
Clare Malone,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Barbaric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbaric. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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