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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of barbaric
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
Along with being a barbaric and disgraceful method of caring for people with severe mental illness, jails are not a long-term option.
—Susan Shelley, Oc Register, 24 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbaric
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
Along with being a barbaric and disgraceful method of caring for people with severe mental illness, jails are not a long-term option.
—Susan Shelley, Oc Register, 24 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbaric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbaric
Adjective
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In Oddity, Darcy (Carolyn Bracken) is driven entirely by grief over the brutal murder of her twin sister.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
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Demand for EVs in China is slowing after the government trimmed consumer subsidies and perks, and there’s no end in sight to a brutal price war as a crowded field of EV rivals jostle to outperform and undercut one another.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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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
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Ashley Johnson and star/executive producer Travis Willingham tee up what's coming for their soft barbarian lady.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Even his students can be casually cruel to each other, emulating a president that Artie almost cannot fathom.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
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Baseball is a sport built on failure surrounded by a cruel, cynical business, but this level of irony is almost too rich to digest.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Meeting a partner’s family can be challenging in any circumstance; anxieties about a family member saying something rude or belittling can only compound that.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
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Ohm, well played by Scott who can wither with you with a look, is the classic ugly American and is rude to everyone at the hotel, but those putdowns and cruelty hides his self loathing.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This time playing an underling rather than a boss, Hoskins gave one of the best performances of his career in what remains a high point for Jordan as well, a lyrical and poignant yet savage film noir filled with regret, rage, and unrequited love.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
20 Apr. 2026
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The famed African American journalist investigated lynchings across the South and wrote about the savage incidents that the white press had already explained away.—
Case Thorp,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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So much of marketing now that happens on the internet is this wild volume game where people are essentially spamming.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
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But even wild gusts couldn’t keep these top acts down at the three-day event, which had people flocking to the Mane Stage to see headliners Cody Johnson (Friday), Lainey Wilson (Saturday) and Post Malone (Sunday).—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The betrayal of Zambada sparked a vicious battle for control of the Sinaloa cartel that has resulted in thousands of deaths.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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Back in 2023, he was suspended during the playoffs for a vicious cross-check to the head of Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Barbaric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbaric. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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