barbaric — extremely cruel and violent; primitive and uncivilized
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: extremely cruel and violent; primitive and uncivilized
Pronunciation (IPA): /bɑːrˈbærɪk/
Example Sentences
- My roommate's barbaric habit of eating pizza with a fork should be illegal.
- The barbaric conditions in the old prison were finally exposed by journalists.
- She considered pineapple on pizza a barbaric crime against Italian cuisine.
barbaric
ADJECTIVE[/bɑːrˈbærɪk/]
extremely cruel and violent; primitive and uncivilized

The barbaric invaders burned the village library without caring about its history.

The barbaric invaders showed no mercy to the frightened villagers. (⚔️ Cruel + ❤️ No Mercy → Barbaric)

The barbaric attack united the civic volunteers, whose heroic efforts saved the town.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Ancient Greek barbaros, which originated from the onomatopoetic imitation 'bar bar'—the sound Greeks perceived in foreign languages they did not understand. Greeks used this term to describe foreigners and uncivilized people, reflecting their view of non-Greek speakers as unintelligible outsiders.
Breakdown
barbaros (Greek: foreigner, barbarian) + -ic (suffix forming adjectives). The root barbaros itself stems from the imitative sound 'bar bar' used to mock incomprehensible foreign speech.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My roommate's barbaric habit of eating pizza with a fork should be illegal.”
“The barbaric conditions in the old prison were finally exposed by journalists.”
“She considered pineapple on pizza a barbaric crime against Italian cuisine.”
“The documentary revealed the barbaric hunting practices of the past century.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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