barbaric
adjective
bar·bar·ic
bär-ˈber-ik 
-ˈba-rik
1
a
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a group of people who are alien to another land, culture, or people and who are usually believed to be inferior : of, relating to, or characteristic of barbarians
b
: possessing or characteristic of a cultural level more complex than primitive (see primitive entry 1 sense 2c) culture but less sophisticated than advanced civilization (see civilization sense 1a)
2
a
: marked by a lack of restraint : wild
a barbaric use of color
b
: having a bizarre, primitive, or unsophisticated quality
… I sound my barbaric yawp …—
Walt Whitman
Walt Whitmanthe tangled, loose barbaric magnificence of the Elizabethan drama—Think
Think3
: barbarous sense 3
barbaric crimes
Synonyms
Examples of barbaric in a Sentence
Barbaric tribes invaded the area.
His table manners are barbaric.
They considered the custom barbaric.
The treatment of the prisoners was positively barbaric.
Recent Examples on the Web
Shot over a two-year period, the film portrays the life of the civilian population all over Ukraine – from Lviv and Odessa to Kyiv and Dnipro – and presents a statement of Ukrainian resilience in the face of a barbaric invasion.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 19 May 2024
This misguided strategy blew up in Israel’s face with the brutal and barbaric Hamas attack on Oct. 7.
—Matthew Weinstein, Baltimore Sun, 19 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for barbaric 
Leo Barraclough, Variety, 19 May 2024
This misguided strategy blew up in Israel’s face with the brutal and barbaric Hamas attack on Oct. 7.
—Matthew Weinstein, Baltimore Sun, 19 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for barbaric
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'barbaric.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near barbaric
Cite this Entry
“Barbaric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barbaric. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
barbaric
adjective
bar·bar·ic
bär-ˈbar-ik
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of barbarians
2
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share