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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in barbarian
not civilized
the barbaric forebears of modern mankind
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of barbaric
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
The novel describes, among other barbaric acts, how soldiers and police threw bodies carelessly into trucks that carted them off to be hidden or burned.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2025
And so much of the first season relied on the novel horror of watching the barbaric, exploitative Squid Game play out, hoping that protagonist Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) could hold onto his humanity in the face of it all.
—Kayti Burt, TIME, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for barbaric 
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
The novel describes, among other barbaric acts, how soldiers and police threw bodies carelessly into trucks that carted them off to be hidden or burned.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2025
And so much of the first season relied on the novel horror of watching the barbaric, exploitative Squid Game play out, hoping that protagonist Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) could hold onto his humanity in the face of it all.
—Kayti Burt, TIME, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for barbaric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbaric
Adjective
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The occasional injury is unavoidable in a tournament where the intensity is this high, but that doesn’t make the outcome any less brutal for Theodore and the Golden Knights. 4.—
Sean McIndoe,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
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Though the claims of uniquely brutal violence are mostly anecdotal, their shocking nature has become the cornerstone of such groups' outreach to Western leaders.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 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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The current government’s purposeful misrepresentation and defamation of DEI in such a comprehensively cruel and malicious manner deserves nothing less than personal and communal outrage and resistance.—
Dr. Tony Lux,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2025
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Immigrant advocates call those moves cruel and unnecessary.—
Joel Rose,
NPR,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Not wanting to be rude, the plumber welcomed Albert in.—
Kristan Hawkins,
Newsweek,
6 Feb. 2025
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Harry would’ve been grumpy and rude, making brusque jokes about inane gender stereotypes and asking direct, invasive questions about anatomy.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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Fans speculated, tabloids theorized—but the truth is wilder than fiction.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
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The studio appeared eager to assure viewers that something wild might happen in this otherwise rote entry.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Nashville's Bad Idea is a wine bar and restaurant set in a former Presbyterian church that fell into disrepair after a vicious tornado.—
USA TODAY,
USA TODAY,
13 Feb. 2025
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By the time Hezbollah launched its bombardment of Israel in solidarity with Hamas' vicious attack on Israel, the militant Lebanese organization had managed to build a significant military capability under the nose of UNFIL and was more robust than ever before.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Thesaurus Entries Near barbaric
Cite this Entry
“Barbaric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbaric. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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