as in cruelty
disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others
more than one reluctant dental patient has been tempted to level the charge of barbarity against their dentist
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Recent Examples of barbarity
Cathy escapes, the Jimmies' numbers are diminished, and the stomach-churning barbarity finally comes to an end.
—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
16 Jan. 2026
His observations about the barbarity of women’s beauty regimens aren’t exactly new, but they are acted out with enthusiasm and verve.
—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
Pritam’s Partition writings offer incisive critiques of the barbarity that became life with borders but also contest notions of belonging from a feminist perspective.
—
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
Netanyahu is the excuse for staying silent about Israeli barbarity in Palestine.
—
Uriel Kon
september 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbarity
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
16 Jan. 2026
His observations about the barbarity of women’s beauty regimens aren’t exactly new, but they are acted out with enthusiasm and verve.
—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
Pritam’s Partition writings offer incisive critiques of the barbarity that became life with borders but also contest notions of belonging from a feminist perspective.
—
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
Netanyahu is the excuse for staying silent about Israeli barbarity in Palestine.
—
Uriel Kon
september 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbarity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbarity
Noun
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These passages highlight the typically human cruelty and hypocrisy of fighting for one’s own liberty while denying it to one’s neighbors.
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Last week, Dixon also pleaded no contest to the three felony animal cruelty charges.
Noun
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Unfortunately, Florida’s leaders seem to have set their sights on any reminder that the state’s historic brutality should still inspire action today.
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More than a decade later, Ike Barinholtz is opening up about the Police Academy reboot that was scrapped amid a rise in lethal police brutality.
Cite this Entry
“Barbarity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbarity. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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