1
as in brutal
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others
a barbaric dictator who tortured his own people with no qualms
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in barbarian
not civilized
the barbaric forebears of modern mankind
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Recent Examples of barbaric
On that day, I was attacked while defending the Capitol against invasion by thousands in a barbaric mob of rioters incited by Trump.
—
Aquilino Gonell, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2025
Another scene bound to induce winces and covered eyes involves a barbaric eyelash transplant procedure, cinematographer Marcel Zyskind’s camera bringing us way too close to the incisions and their aftermath.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2025
Emilie Blichfeldt’s body horror film includes several difficult-to-watch scenes of crude cosmetic surgery, including its protagonist eating a tapeworm, sewing in eyelashes and enduring a barbaric rhinoplasty.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 24 Jan. 2025
Supporting Ukraine to defend itself from Russia's barbaric invasion and rebuild a prosperous, sovereign future, is vital to this government's foundation of security and our Plan for Change.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbaric
Aquilino Gonell, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2025
Another scene bound to induce winces and covered eyes involves a barbaric eyelash transplant procedure, cinematographer Marcel Zyskind’s camera bringing us way too close to the incisions and their aftermath.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2025
Emilie Blichfeldt’s body horror film includes several difficult-to-watch scenes of crude cosmetic surgery, including its protagonist eating a tapeworm, sewing in eyelashes and enduring a barbaric rhinoplasty.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 24 Jan. 2025
Supporting Ukraine to defend itself from Russia's barbaric invasion and rebuild a prosperous, sovereign future, is vital to this government's foundation of security and our Plan for Change.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbaric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbaric
Adjective
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The avalanche at Tunnel Creek in the Cascade Mountains involved a large group of ski industry professionals and resulted in three brutal fatalities.—
Ashley Thess,
Outdoor Life,
14 Mar. 2025
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Conquest is a much more brutal Viltrumite than Nolan.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Based on the best-selling comic book series, the fantasy follows barbarian huntress Red Sonja, who must unite a group of unlikely warriors to face off against the evil tyrant Emperor Draygan and his deadly bride, Dark Annisia.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
16 Feb. 2025
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So, some earlier, some later, but right around the time that the Greeks were talking about these people and excited about their barbarian lifestyle, archaeologists were finding the graves of these people.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
5 June 2015
Adjective
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In Season 2, a cruel winter brings new challenges and unfinished business to Jacob (Harrison Ford) and Cara (Helen Mirren) back at Dutton ranch.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2025
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Michael, in a filmed conversation with Grace, claimed that his ex-wife had manipulated him and was cruel to Natalia.—
Fortesa Latifi,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The move garnered mixed reactions, with many calling out Brown for his rude tone and choice of words.—
Jessica Bennett,
VIBE.com,
18 Mar. 2025
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Shift The Focus To Collaboration Sometimes, rude colleagues act out of insecurity or stress.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
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As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
Adjective
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To create tension, a lot of the movie is just Indy tilting his head in curiosity while looking into the distance, immediately followed by a shot of empty space, which lets the imagination go wild.—
Rafael Motamayor,
IndieWire,
10 Mar. 2025
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Don’t be surprised if a herd of wild horses stomps their way through your campsite.—
Wendy Altschuler,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Contrary to what many people believe, pit bulls don't naturally have a bad temperament, are not inherently vicious, and are not more dangerous than other dogs.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
12 Mar. 2025
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At age 55, the director of the vicious South Korean social satire Parasite specializes in adolescent appeal.—
Armond White,
National Review,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Barbaric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbaric. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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