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
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
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
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
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
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The creature-feature horror film plunges into the jungles of the Dominican Republic, where a group of road workers battling brutal conditions encounter the Ciguapa — a terrifying figure from local folklore with backward feet and the power to possess men through her gaze.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
15 May 2026
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Anyone familiar with the show knows what comes next probably won't be pretty, but even diehard fans will be shocked by how brutal Scattered Hopes can be.—
Ian Stokes,
Space.com,
15 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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In Sylvie’s imagination, Nita becomes Anna, a sultry beauty with a cruel streak who has been dating the meek Christophe (Niney) while secretly engaging in an affair with their married boss, Pierre (Cassel).—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
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The first major climb of any Grand Tour is usually a cruel dose of reality — where teams, having built around a rider over the previous week, suddenly realise those sacrifices might have been in vain.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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Petrie didn’t only celebrate his own hits but pointed to rival shows like Sky’s Saturday Night Live UK and Prime Video’s Last One Laughing as proof that British comedy is in rude health.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
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Elizabeth continues to be an infuriating character, interrupting with rude and unhelpful asides throughout the entire family meeting, casually gnawing on an orange slice as Greg and Katie have a heart-to-heart across the table.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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Critic Rex Reed, who died Tuesday at 87, built his career on savage, acerbic reviews delivered with little restraint, earning a reputation as a provocateur.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
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Initially a beachy utopia where the children run free among nature, things become increasingly savage as help appears to be ever further away.—
Connor Sturges,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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But Fredrik Berselius’s cooking is too weird and wild to fit the bounds of one creed.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
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Yet, having said all of that, the bottom line is the Rays went into the weekend with a 7½-game lead in the AL wild-card race and ended the weekend in first place in the AL East.—
John Romano,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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The story follows a Lebanese family caught in debts and schemes that drag them in a vicious cycle that tests their unity.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
13 May 2026
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But the score was a costly one since the penalty that sent up the goal — a vicious hit from defenseman Brayden McNabb — knocked Ducks forward Ryan Poehling out of the game.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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Analysts note Iran was able to penetrate US air defenses in the Persian Gulf with relatively primitive technology, including low-cost Shahed drones and lower-cost ballistic missiles.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
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Hannes’s roommate, Gundula (Marlene Burow), uses a primitive nineteen-seventies version of Tony’s 2020 technology to study and decode the behavior of her potted geranium.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Barbarous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbarous. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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