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
Enforcing immigration policy does not have to be inhumane, but the Trump administration is gloating in the very barbarity.
—
Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 14 June 2025
The Indigenous peoples who survived all this barbarity are now facing the same list of homicidal intolerance.
—Kevin Giraud, Variety, 7 June 2025
Self-defense group attacks agents The tragedy in the Artibonite region, considered the country’s breadbasket, is yet another example of Haiti’s descent into chaos and the degree to which impunity and barbarity rein as armed gangs tighten their grip.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
Angle was just too good, too fast, and too pre-equipped to allow Lesnar to gain a real advantage, meaning that Lesnar had to rely on his powerhouse barbarity to come out on top.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbarity
Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 14 June 2025
The Indigenous peoples who survived all this barbarity are now facing the same list of homicidal intolerance.
—Kevin Giraud, Variety, 7 June 2025
Self-defense group attacks agents The tragedy in the Artibonite region, considered the country’s breadbasket, is yet another example of Haiti’s descent into chaos and the degree to which impunity and barbarity rein as armed gangs tighten their grip.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
Angle was just too good, too fast, and too pre-equipped to allow Lesnar to gain a real advantage, meaning that Lesnar had to rely on his powerhouse barbarity to come out on top.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbarity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbarity
Noun
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Vasquez was charged with second-degree cruelty to juveniles and negligent homicide.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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But that tale of someone brought into a world that treated him with cruelty and contempt never left him.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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More Ethan Miller/Getty Images Their history is defined by brutality.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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For a country still reckoning with the brutality of its dark past, the trial of several high ranking military officers in a civilian court is a singular achievement.—
Adriana Carranca,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barbarity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbarity. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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