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
Other states’ ‘Black Laws’ Southern legislatures imposed barbaric laws on Black residents, whether enslaved or free, for centuries.
—
Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
The blurring of lines around belief seems to surface our barbaric gears.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Nov. 2025
But the experience too often triggers barbaric rage.
—Ed Lavandera, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
The origins of that industry really are self-help cults from the '70s that use these really kind of barbaric behavioral therapy modification programs.
—Senior Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbaric
Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
The blurring of lines around belief seems to surface our barbaric gears.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Nov. 2025
But the experience too often triggers barbaric rage.
—Ed Lavandera, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
The origins of that industry really are self-help cults from the '70s that use these really kind of barbaric behavioral therapy modification programs.
—Senior Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbaric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbaric
Adjective
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The regime accused protesters of being Israeli spies and deployed the brutal local paramilitary Basij force to suppress demonstrations which were sparked by poor economic conditions but transformed into calls for regime change.—
Farida Elsebai,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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Olivia, Bailey’s mother, was really Kate Smith, and her father was Nicholas Bell (David Morse), famous mob lawyer for The Syndicate, or The Organization, a group notorious for crimes and brutal retaliation against their enemies.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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His lawyer, Béatrice Zavarro, sought to show that his past had formed him, but there was a cruel irony in the reference.—
Gaby Wood,
Vogue,
21 Feb. 2026
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Many of these schools are impossibly competitive – impossibly and fantastically cruel.—
Anastasia Tsioulcas,
NPR,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The deranged demeanor accompanying her rude responses under oath deserves an Oscar nomination in the cringe and horror categories.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
21 Feb. 2026
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But there are also things that are just kind of, 'Well, that’s rude.—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Wade Wilson confessed to the savage murders of two women, yet even that brutality failed to repel admirers.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
15 Feb. 2026
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On his second, Dominique pulled off a savage windmill, the same dunk that had earned a perfect score the year before and won him the title.—
Kevin Sherrington
Feb. 10,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Continue reading … -- IN OTHER NEWS VICTORY LAP — Tyler Reddick steals Daytona 500 win in wild last-lap shootout.—
,
FOXNews.com,
16 Feb. 2026
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This region is the best place in the lower 48 to observe wild wolves, bears, and moose.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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There are fun villains; Reggie’s nemesis is a sneakily vicious NFL alum (Craig Robinson) with the splendid name Jerry Basmati.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
20 Feb. 2026
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Anderson received the Sydney Schanberg Prize for his reporting on decades of war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where regional and global actors have fuelled one of the world’s most vicious entrenched conflicts.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
18 Feb. 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 23 Feb. 2026.
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