BARBARIC Synonyms: 96 Similar and Opposite Words

barbaric

adjective

bär-ˈber-ik

Definition of barbaric

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

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 jail in Rostov was less barbaric but no less stultifying. — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 Maggie Greene was introduced in The Walking Dead season 2 as an open-hearted survivor who was just beginning to grapple with the barbaric nature of her new reality after the Wildfire virus decimates humanity. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 25 July 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for barbaric

Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbaric

Adjective

Thirty-two years after Brown Simpson's brutal killing, her sister continues to alert people to the dangers of intimate partner violence.

— Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
The Trojans face Washington at the Coliseum before a brutal stretch that includes Penn State, Indiana and Ohio State, with their playoff hopes at stake.

— Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of brutal

Adjective

The policy of sending them to a third country has been condemned as harsh and cruel.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Eight men were killed via gassing until an Alabama district judge ruled the execution method unconstitutionally cruel, in June; the Supreme Court has maintained the block.

— Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of cruel

Adjective

Painfully aware of this, Shawn waited for one of the drunk old men to comment, heckle, make one of those incomprehensible jokes that drew rude laughter from adults.

— Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
By the same token, French-style discretion can be interpreted by American visitors as inattentive and rude.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of rude

Adjective

The Indian pilot who fought off a savage attack by his copilot and helped prevent an apparent hijack of a Flydubai plane heading to Israel with more than 170 people on board is being hailed as a hero.

— Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index weathered a savage 30% drawdown, has been choppily trendless for two months, then in recent days finally broke above its downtrend and surmounted the 50-day moving average.

— Michael Santoli, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of savage

Adjective

That set the stage for a strange wild-card game against Philadelphia in which the Eagles built a 51-7 lead and held on despite the Lions scoring 30 points down the stretch.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Close to 10,000 fans who plunked down $10 a ticket on Saturday to essentially witness a glorified practice at the Sixers’ home arena went wild for James' debut.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of wild

Adjective

The film focuses on a psychological experiment that Kaczynski was part of in college, where he was subjected to vicious personal attacks.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 25 Sep. 2026
In the clip, an 11-year-old Breakers player can be seen skating up the ice before delivering a vicious, two-handed slash to the head of a Kings player.

— Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 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

Browse Nearby Words

barbarians

barbaric

barbarism

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“Barbaric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbaric. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of barbaric

adjective

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