as in savage
not civilized
people who were regarded as barbarian by the ancient Romans
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in primitive
an uncivilized person
the invading Germanic tribes were viewed as barbarians by the citizens of ancient Rome
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of barbarian
Greg Evans, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024
Column of Marcus Aurelius was erected in AD 180 to commemorate his victories over the barbarian tribes of the Danube.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 20 June 2024
Nikil Saval, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
Like victorious barbarians in a war between the present and the past, bulldozers this week tore into the towers and walls of a Miami castle that once housed El Cid restaurant.
—Jeff Kleinman, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbarian
Adjective
Steve muses, as the clip cuts to barbarian humanoid pigs attacking a city.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024
Column of Marcus Aurelius was erected in AD 180 to commemorate his victories over the barbarian tribes of the Danube.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 20 June 2024
Noun
Scott himself was a bit like one of these barbarians, constantly attacking and unsettling a seemingly stable consensus on the value of state power, and of civilization itself.
—Nikil Saval, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
Like victorious barbarians in a war between the present and the past, bulldozers this week tore into the towers and walls of a Miami castle that once housed El Cid restaurant.
—Jeff Kleinman, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbarian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbarian
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
-
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
Noun
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Burlington Antique Show Browse more than 200 dealers of antiques, vintage jewelry, primitives, garden and architectural elements, mid-century collectibles, memorabilia, Americana and retro/vintage furniture at this monthly outdoor antique market.—
Luann Gibbs,
The Enquirer,
14 Aug. 2024
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It can be used to achieve a lot of other cryptographic primitives.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
1 Aug. 2024
Adjective
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Hintz, meanwhile, got a rude welcome back early in Game 4 when Evan Bouchard slashed him right in the same area that Darnell Nurse injured him in Game 2.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
27 May 2025
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And in the case of fully autonomous EVs, it might be considered rude to expect human passengers to get out and cable a robotaxi to a supercharger for a quick top up on the way to the airport.—
Paul Ridden
May 23,
New Atlas,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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Iñárritu also used his Cannes visit as a soft launch for his next wild experiment, with Tom Cruise.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
21 May 2025
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From immersive fine dining in an aquarium to ziplining at the UAE’s highest peak, these 10 travel experiences showcase the country’s wild beauty, cultural richness and knack for world-class luxury for both first-time and frequent visitors.—
Natasha Amar,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
Adjective
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But killing so many of them as a means of population control is barbaric.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
24 May 2025
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The nation has also harbored and financially supported the fanatical Hamas terror group, which carried out the barbaric Oct. 7 attacks against Israel, our staunch ally in the region.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
17 May 2025
Adjective
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Wednesday night’s barbarous shooting of two Israeli Embassy employees — gunned down, shot in the back allegedly by a pro-Palestinian activist while leaving a peace event at the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. — is more than a mere workaday atrocity.—
Jeffrey Blehar,
National Review,
23 May 2025
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The barbarous relic has glittered amidst the financial carnage.—
Brett Owens,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
Adjective
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Under the Omanis, Zanzibar grew rich selling spices, ivory, and slaves, mostly non-Muslims from the interior, whom the island’s élites derided as washenzi, or uncivilized.—
Julian Lucas,
The New Yorker,
17 Oct. 2022
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Forcing a woman to choose between jail and carrying her rapist's baby is uncivilized and medieval.—
CNN,
CNN,
27 June 2022
Cite this Entry
“Barbarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbarian. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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