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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in barbarian
not civilized
an aunt who abhors barbarous behavior such as eating with your fingers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
-
Simulations take place between October and March in brutal winter conditions, when the Gobi freezes solid.—
Rosanna Philpott,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
-
This early modern period would set the foundations of the rise of the transatlantic slave trade and a new form of slavery—hereditary racial slavery—that would be central to the creation of the racial-caste hierarchy and to the rise of Britain’s wealthy and brutal Caribbean slave empire.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 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 Pahani’s 2006 award-winning comedy Offside, about the cruel cultural chains binding Iranian women, a group of young women attempt to gain entry to a stadium to watch a World Cup qualifying match between Iran and Japan.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
24 Oct. 2025
-
There is no reason to be cruel to people.—
Sigal Ratner-Arias,
Billboard,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
It’s still considered rude, and people on both sides tend to feel bad about it, albeit in different ways.—
Anna Holmes,
The Atlantic,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Is it meant to suggest something about focaccia’s typically dimpled surface, in which case … kinda rude?—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Rader’s double life as a doting father and savage murderer is the subject of the new Netflix documentary My Father, the BTK Killer, based on his daughter Kerri Rawson’s search to make sense of the secret double life her father hid from his family.—
Johnny Dodd,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The ensuing carnage was swift and savage.—
Paul Solotaroff,
Rolling Stone,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The shocking circumstances of this clip may seem too wild to be real, and in this case, that's true.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
-
And the public gets some wild movies and TV shows that would otherwise never get made, doing crazy-stupid stuff like recreating Napoleonic-era sea battles off the coast of the Galapagos.—
John Lopez,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Those stiffed in this initial round are rendered unable to meet their own bills and a vicious cycle ensues.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
19 Oct. 2025
-
In Black Phone 2, McGraw has been upgraded to the de facto lead actor, and Gwen’s foul-mouthed takedowns are even more vicious.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The range of the monster drawings included primitive people, giant spiders, serpents, snails and fantastical fish.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Will there be future fairy tales about birds whose feathers glow in the dark nesting in the ruins of primitive power plants of past ages?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barbarous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbarous. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share