1
as in brutal
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others
a monarch resorting to whatever barbarous means he deemed necessary to protect his throne
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in barbarian
not civilized
an aunt who abhors barbarous behavior such as eating with your fingers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of barbarous
Lies told by people who are simply too afraid to look at such an ugly, barbarous reality.
—
Clare Malone, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
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
The barbarous relic has glittered amidst the financial carnage.
—Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for barbarous
Clare Malone, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
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
The barbarous relic has glittered amidst the financial carnage.
—Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for barbarous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbarous
Adjective
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Bichette is off to a brutal start, Francisco Lindor’s spring hamate injury may have affected his power even before his calf strain knocked him out for the last month, and Jorge Polanco has barely been on the field.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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Hounded by a loud, impatient Eisenhower and faced with the very real evidence that a brutal trio of storms will make an early June invasion impossible, Stagg is torn between doing his duty and, well, doing his duty.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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For the design of the barbarian figure, Sweet reached out to Mark Taylor, an artist and designer at Mattel.—
Sanat Pai RaikarAll,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
4 May 2026
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When the Western Roman Empire fell in the fifth century C.E., Europe was plunged into chaos as barbarian Germanic forces advanced south—or so the story goes.—
Emma Gometz,
Scientific American,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The immigrant-detention facility known as Alligator Alcatraz, deep in the Florida Everglades, stands out as a uniquely cruel publicity stunt with an absurdly high price tag, in which much of the money goes into just a few pockets.—
Eric Schlosser,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
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Therefore, a second execution would not violate the prohibition on double jeopardy or on the imposition of cruel punishment.—
Austin Sarat,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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There is a profound difference between rude political commentary and language that normalizes violence against other human beings.—
Naperville Sun,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
-
In other words, leaving early isn't inherently rude.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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What begins as a desperate family bonding trip rapidly devolves into savage violence and brutal psychological warfare.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
3 June 2026
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Their twiggy legs and bony frames exposed in bathing suits, the kids do indeed look extra vulnerable within the film’s savage landscape.—
Beatrice Loayza,
Variety,
25 May 2026
Adjective
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Several of the incidents took place in the mountains, with some people injured while out foraging for wild plants and vegetables.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
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The 27-year-old tailback was the Broncos’ offensive MVP over the first 10 weeks of a wild, wacky 2025.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
9 June 2026
Adjective
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Her vicious block on Clark with seven minutes left nearly lifted the roof off the place.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
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Other cast members spoke on rising to new challenges in Season 2, including Paulina Chavez, whose character Ariana Medina survived a vicious assault in the penultimate episode.—
Kai Naima Williams,
Variety,
27 May 2026
Adjective
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Through the use of backlighting, their silhouettes will be thrown onto the facing walls to form a shadow sculpture evoking primitive graffiti or a hieroglyphic-like language.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
9 June 2026
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However, several primitive campsites, boat ramps, and fishing piers sprinkled across the area give plenty of access to enjoy the lake at your leisure.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Barbarous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbarous. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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