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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of barbaric
Now, a local judge is Massachusetts is trying to force the United States to bring back these uniquely barbaric monsters who present a clear and present threat to the safety of the American people.
—
Dan Gooding
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 May 2025
Another barbaric ‘harvesting’ of bears in Florida | Editorial
Happy Hunger Games!
—South Florida Sun Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, 26 May 2025
But killing so many of them as a means of population control is barbaric.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 May 2025
The nation has also harbored and financially supported the fanatical Hamas terror group, which carried out the barbaric Oct. 7 attacks against Israel, our staunch ally in the region.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbaric
Dan Gooding
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 May 2025
Another barbaric ‘harvesting’ of bears in Florida | Editorial
Happy Hunger Games!
—South Florida Sun Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, 26 May 2025
But killing so many of them as a means of population control is barbaric.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 May 2025
The nation has also harbored and financially supported the fanatical Hamas terror group, which carried out the barbaric Oct. 7 attacks against Israel, our staunch ally in the region.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbaric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbaric
Adjective
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The Yankees’ brutal offensive malaise stretched past a point anybody could have foreseen with a 1-0, 11-inning loss Monday night.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
17 June 2025
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Late-stage valuations are inflating again, even as early-stage founders face a brutal fundraising climate.—
Sindhya Valloppillil,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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Built on the site of an ancient Roman fortress that protected the empire from barbarian invasion, the castle was constructed between the 11th and 14th centuries.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
10 June 2025
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In contrast, East Asia witnessed a 300-year period of peace between the 1590s and 1894, broken only by defensive engagements against barbarian incursions and five fairly small two-state wars.—
Michael Mann,
Foreign Affairs,
13 Feb. 2012
Adjective
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This is cruel, unnecessary, and will further fan the flames of economic chaos for working families across this country.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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And for every San Antonio, there is a Utah or Washington or Charlotte that can’t believe how cruel the lottery can be.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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Carry-on rules exist for a reason and deliberately ignoring the rules is both rude and inconsiderate to everyone else who is.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 June 2025
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Matthews walked out of the home to talk to the suspect but returned to the house, saying Hoskins-Ellis said something rude to him.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
9 June 2025
Adjective
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The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
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As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
Adjective
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Kohlrabi reappears in a soup over apple and shellfish ceviche, while wild asparagus is bathed in rosemary, thyme, and za’atar, then finished with a green jus and osetra caviar.—
Rooksana Hossenally,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2025
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One reason some in the DNC went Hogg wild in the first place was the youthful progressive activist’s involvement in a $20 million initiative to back younger primary challengers against Democratic incumbents.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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The Republican tax bill could push food assistance in Colorado into a vicious cycle of funding cuts, increasing mistakes in determining eligibility and further funding cuts to punish those mistakes, Gov. Jared Polis warned in a letter to congressional leaders Friday.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
16 June 2025
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Plaschke delivers a vicious uppercut to his opponent.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2025
Adjective
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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
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Wednesday night’s barbarous shooting of two Israeli Embassy employees — gunned down, shot in the back allegedly by a pro-Palestinian activist while leaving a peace event at the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. — is more than a mere workaday atrocity.—
Jeffrey Blehar,
National Review,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barbaric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbaric. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.
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