barbed — having barbs or sharp points; designed to hurt or wound
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: having barbs or sharp points; designed to hurt or wound
Pronunciation (IPA): /bɑːrbd/
Example Sentences
- My grandmother's barbed comments at family dinners could make a grown man cry.
- The prison was surrounded by high walls topped with barbed wire.
- His barbed sense of humor made him popular at roast parties.
barbed
ADJECTIVE[/bɑːrbd/]
having barbs or sharp points; designed to hurt or wound
Sharp barbs on wire fence
Once absorbed in reading, now disturbed by barbed wire!
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Middle English 'barbe', which comes from Latin 'barba' meaning 'beard'. The sense evolved from the beard's protruding, hair-like appearance to denote sharp, bristle-like projections or barbs.
Breakdown
barb (a sharp projection, from Latin barba meaning beard) + -ed (adjective suffix indicating possession of a quality or characteristic).
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My grandmother's barbed comments at family dinners could make a grown man cry.”
“The prison was surrounded by high walls topped with barbed wire.”
“His barbed sense of humor made him popular at roast parties.”
“The fish struggled against the barbed hook.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
Want to master 19,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.