Synonym Chooser

How is the word barbarous different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of barbarous are cruel, ferocious, fierce, and savage. While all these words mean "showing fury or malignity in looks or actions," barbarous implies a ferocity or mercilessness regarded as unworthy of civilized people.

barbarous treatment of prisoners

When might cruel be a better fit than barbarous?

The words cruel and barbarous can be used in similar contexts, but cruel implies indifference to suffering and even positive pleasure in inflicting it.

the cruel jokes of schoolboys

When is ferocious a more appropriate choice than barbarous?

In some situations, the words ferocious and barbarous are roughly equivalent. However, ferocious implies extreme fierceness and unrestrained violence and brutality.

a ferocious dog

When is it sensible to use fierce instead of barbarous?

While in some cases nearly identical to barbarous, fierce applies to humans and animals that inspire terror because of their wild and menacing aspect or fury in attack.

fierce warriors

When can savage be used instead of barbarous?

The words savage and barbarous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, savage implies the absence of inhibitions restraining civilized people filled with rage, lust, or other violent passion.

a savage criminal

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 barbarous Any slip-up or act of insubordination, no matter how small, results in immediate death from the barbarous SS members running the camp. Josh Weiss, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025 How does Reed manage to revisit some of the world’s most barbarous acts without succumbing to despair? K.j. Yossman, Variety, 9 Oct. 2024 Treating barbarous body horror as something embedded in us deeper than the mutual love of a partner, especially when it’s done without the theatrical or exploitation trappings, makes for one of the New French Extremity’s most troubling works. Rory Doherty, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024 Experts told PolitiFact such narratives painting Haiti as a barbarous country are not new and are racist attempts to dehumanize Haitians. Jeff Cercone, Austin American-Statesman, 14 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for barbarous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbarous
Adjective
  • For more than 40 years, the person responsible for the brutal rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl on Long Island has eluded capture.
    Lauren del Valle, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Behind him, officials key to his brutal rule made a mass exodus, virtually undetected.
    Danny Makki, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
  • In Dahl’s original story, the Muggle-Wumps are clever and resourceful, using their smarts to turn the tables on their cruel captors.
    Jane LaCroix, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
  • On the page, these serve to paint him in a monstrous light following his abandonment by his egotistical and cruel creator, Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac).
    Megan McCluskey, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Moreover, dogs may react negatively to a person's actions, especially if someone is rude or unfriendly, particularly toward their owner.
    Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Angry and rude to their neighbors while fearing the end of the republic?
    David M. Drucker, Twin Cities, 12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The ensuing carnage was swift and savage.
    Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Near the end of Robert Altman’s savage showbiz satire, Roberts appears briefly as herself, playing a part in a movie-within-a-movie about a woman on death row.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Participants will learn the basics of Dutch oven cooking and how to prepare various recipes, some that include wild game meat.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Normally when there's an audience going wild, the band is doing various poses or guitar solos.
    Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Make people laugh and help people out and just keep that vicious cycle of fun going.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Some beaches along the East Coast might no longer exist after a vicious storm threatening significant coastal flooding passes through the area this weekend, AccuWeather warned in an email to reporters on Thursday.
    Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Mules on the towpath along the canal could pull a heavy barge at a clip of 4 miles per hour – far faster than the job of dragging wagons over primitive roads.
    Christine Keiner, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2025
  • This is the first direct chemical proof that some of the primitive planet’s material survived the giant impact that formed the Earth and Moon.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Barbarous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbarous. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on barbarous

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!