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 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, 29 June 2026 But because of his radical and violent fight for freedom, Dessalines’ enemies often described him as ferocious and barbaric, both during his lifetime and in the centuries after his death. — Julia Gaffield, The Conversation, 15 June 2026 The vitality of her language, its frolicsome dance with personification, communicates its own resistance in the face of an indifferent world, exploited by imperialist greed and barbaric, militant might. — Rachel Vorona Cote, Vulture, 2 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
  • What follows is a brutal fight for survival against aggressive, hungry, and carnivorous dinosaurs who quickly turn the community's previously idyllic streets into their own personal feeding ground.
    — Megan McCluskey, Time, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The company's earnings should also benefit from a better freight cycle, which has shown signs of improvement after a brutal multiyear recession that began in 2022.
    — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 14 Aug. 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
  • Oleksa watches them from the other end of the camera feed, in the middle of a gnarly interrogation with Kyle and Cruz — the latter silently watching Oleksa go through a cruel facsimile of her own violent recruitment crucible in the first season.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Murder charge 'cruel and unusual,' advocate says Of cases where a child was unknowingly left in a car, about 41% do not lead to criminal charges against caregivers, Rollins said.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • Then off to the highway with you, up a mountain hill, in full control and at one with this rude, loud, hot machine.
    — Josh Max, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Maybe your child or grandchild posted a rude comment in a group chat.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of rude
Adjective
  • The savage battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa had already demonstrated the ferocity with which Japanese forces would defend their homeland.
    — James M. Scott, Time, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The lifestyle mogul made a savage comment about Meghan Markle in a cover story for PEOPLE on Wednesday, calling out her Netflix show, With Love, Meghan.
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of savage
Adjective
  • The Padres pulled into a tie with Philadelphia and Arizona for the third NL wild-card spot after winning their fourth straight game and 14th of 18.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Typically depicted with exaggerated features and ragged clothing – or no clothing at all – these children were often shown being chased by alligators or other wild animals.
    — The Conversation, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of wild
Adjective
  • And on the other side of the ball, this defense has a chance to be downright vicious.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Heidegger, the philosopher of authenticity and independent thought, had become one of them, surrendering to vicious political cant.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 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

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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 17 Aug. 2026.

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