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
Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 10 June 2025
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
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 21 July 2025
The barbarians at the gates are just asset managers now — big, and a bit boring.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbarian
Adjective
Built on the site of an ancient Roman fortress that protected the empire from barbarian invasion, the castle was constructed between the 11th and 14th centuries.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 10 June 2025
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
Noun
This barbarian conceptualized this atrocity and brought it to reality.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 21 July 2025
The barbarians at the gates are just asset managers now — big, and a bit boring.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbarian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbarian
Adjective
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Rader’s double life as a doting father and savage murderer is the subject of the new Netflix documentary My Father, the BTK Killer, based on his daughter Kerri Rawson’s search to make sense of the secret double life her father hid from his family.—
Johnny Dodd,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The ensuing carnage was swift and savage.—
Paul Solotaroff,
Rolling Stone,
12 Oct. 2025
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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For three long weeks that began to seem rude or impertinent, as if the Prize hadn’t been announced, as if a king and queen weren’t waiting for his answer, Dylan said nothing about the award.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
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According to Dakota, the sisters once had a tense encounter with a rude man that ended with the Complete Unknown star's drink all over him.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The shocking circumstances of this clip may seem too wild to be real, and in this case, that's true.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
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And the public gets some wild movies and TV shows that would otherwise never get made, doing crazy-stupid stuff like recreating Napoleonic-era sea battles off the coast of the Galapagos.—
John Lopez,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But the experience too often triggers barbaric rage.—
Ed Lavandera,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
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The origins of that industry really are self-help cults from the '70s that use these really kind of barbaric behavioral therapy modification programs.—
Senior Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis, a man dressed as a cop shot two Democratic lawmakers and their spouses, killing the DFL speaker of the House and her husband in a barbarous (and politically motivated) atrocity.—
Jeffrey Blehar,
National Review,
14 June 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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This sort of rhetoric only adds to the hysterical nature of contemporary politics, giving respectability to uncivilized behavior.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
10 Sep. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Barbarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbarian. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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