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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in barbarian
not civilized
the barbaric forebears of modern mankind
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Recent Examples of barbaric
There was no electricity, and basic human conditions were barbaric.
—
Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 4 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for barbaric
Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 4 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for barbaric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbaric
Adjective
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Salesforce is the latest SaaS (software-as-a-service) company to step up buybacks following the brutal sell-off to start the year.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
13 Mar. 2026
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According to a new national survey conducted by NBC News, AI is viewed even more negatively than the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the militarized agency that has been embroiled in major controversy over its brutal deportation program, including the fatal shooting of unarmed civilians.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
12 Mar. 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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That’s the cruel beauty of golf.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Mar. 2026
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Few Iranians will mourn the demise of the cruel and murderous Ayatollah Khamenei or his cohorts, and a large segment of Iranians want the corrupt religious regime gone.—
Trudy Rubin,
Twin Cities,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Perhaps surprisingly, the unfair pay and rude management didn’t trigger the most significant changes in attitude.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
7 Mar. 2026
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Whether a dish is tied to a long-standing family tradition, cultural heritage, or simply a treasured memory, etiquette experts say there’s nothing rude about choosing to keep certain recipes private.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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They were met with savage brutality, with as many as 30,000 murdered by their own government.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Mar. 2026
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But they were met with savage brutality, with as many as 30,000 souls murdered by their own government.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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While reading the manga, Godoy would take photos of Luffy’s wildest faces to try to include them in his performance.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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Tommy Novak scored 17 seconds into overtime to complete a wild comeback in the Pittsburgh Penguins' 5-4 victory over the Boston Bruins on Sunday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Obviously, Missé is devastated that her brother was killed in such a vicious and public manner.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
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The play unfolds as a series of battles, where the unaccomplished George and the bitterly disappointed Martha exchange vicious and demeaning insults, using Nick and Honey as the unsuspecting pawns in their war for supremacy.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Mar. 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 15 Mar. 2026.
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