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
To hear Todd Johnson tell it, Waldo is a barbaric hellhole, a lawless territory where criminals pillage with near impunity.
—David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2024
By Anders Fogh Rasmussen April 17, 2024 7:07 AM EDT
The defining early footage from Russia’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine is a grainy, self-shot video from President Volodymyr Zelensky on the streets of Kyiv.
—TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for barbaric 
David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2024
By Anders Fogh Rasmussen April 17, 2024 7:07 AM EDT
The defining early footage from Russia’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine is a grainy, self-shot video from President Volodymyr Zelensky on the streets of Kyiv.
—TIME, 17 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 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
barbaric
adjective
bar·bar·ic
bär-ˈbar-ik
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of barbarians
2
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