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 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 But while some viewers were eager for the hyper-violent spectacle of the UFC, other people and institutions regarded its lack of weight classes and rules as barbaric and bloodthirsty. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 28 May 2026 Luminous yet lethal, Rudolph carries herself with enough conviction to make the reluctant royal daughter of the barbaric Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford) feel inherently consequential. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 May 2026 Trump has surrendered the title of Leader of the Free World to Zelenskyy, who has successfully rallied the EU in defense of barbaric, genocidal imperial Russia. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 5 May 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
  • And, as the Punisher, Frank is known to enact particularly brutal, bloody vengeance.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 31 July 2026
  • After opening the season on the big-league roster and then suffering a demotion after a brutal debut, Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter could be poised to make a stunning return to the mound against the Orioles.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 31 July 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
  • Gomez has endured a lengthy list of cruel setbacks during his 11-year Liverpool career and faces a wait to learn the extent of his latest injury.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 26 July 2026
  • Obsessed with recovering her fortune, Magdalen’s uses of disguise and performance become manipulative, treacherous, and even cruel.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 July 2026
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • In the nearly 90-second recording, Varela calls the customer service representative lazy, rude and racist and asks her for her name tag.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
  • Posey can deliver an absurd line with such conviction that arguing with her would seem rude.
    — Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of rude
Adjective
  • The Yellow Death has disfigured the population, and soldiers in white-and-red tunics serve the savage Duke of Tviot.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
  • Josefowicz, in her decathlon of a performance, brought Ligeti’s savage discontinuities to the surface.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of savage
Adjective
  • Despite a middling 50-51 record, the Padres are within two games of the National League’s final wild-card spot after beating the Atlanta Braves 8-3 on Tuesday.
    — Dennis Lin, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • The entire region is being transformed from beautiful, wild, healthy, relatively intact and super biodiverse habitat to an energy sector sacrifice zone.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 July 2026
Definition of wild
Adjective
  • The drastic measures Alice takes to end this vicious cycle naturally bring her closer to Catherine’s school of violent retribution.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 27 July 2026
  • Despite the powerful action and vicious fight scenes the franchise is known for, Laufey is still shaping up as a bit of a love story.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 25 July 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 2 Aug. 2026.

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