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massacre
[mas-uh-ker]
noun
the unnecessary, indiscriminate killing of a large number of human beings or animals, as in barbarous warfare or persecution or for revenge or plunder.
a general slaughter, as of persons or animals.
the massacre of millions during the war.
Informal., a crushing defeat, especially in sports.
verb (used with object)
to kill unnecessarily and indiscriminately, especially a large number of persons.
Synonyms: slayInformal., to defeat decisively, especially in sports.
massacre
/ ˈmæsəkə, ˈmæsəkrə /
noun
the wanton or savage killing of large numbers of people, as in battle
informal, an overwhelming defeat, as in a game
verb
to kill indiscriminately or in large numbers
informal, to defeat overwhelmingly
Other Word Forms
- massacrer noun
- unmassacred adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of massacre1
Word History and Origins
Origin of massacre1
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
The party sidelined Zhao for opposing martial law and later sent troops to crush the demonstrations—in what became known as the June 4 massacre—before purging him later that month.
According to French colonial authorities at the time, at least 35 infantrymen were killed during the massacre at the Thiaroye camp, near Dakar.
Hostility towards Central Asians -- long a problem in Russia -- has significantly intensified since the 2024 massacre at a concert hall outside Moscow in which 149 people were killed.
Ulysses S. Grant invoked it more than half a dozen times to thwart statehouse coups, stem race massacres and smother the Ku Klux Klan in its South Carolina cradle.
The tensions escalated earlier this year after back-to-back massacres in Plateau state that saw more than 100 people killed, with state authorities claiming the killings were part of a "genocide" that was "sponsored by terrorists".
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Related Words
- assassination
- bloodbath
- bloodshed
- carnage
- extermination www.thesaurus.com
- genocide
- murder
- slaughter
- slaying www.thesaurus.com
When To Use
A massacre is a large-scale killing of people or animals, especially defenseless ones.The word implies that such a killing was especially unnecessary, brutal, and indiscriminate. An event in which soldiers kill many civilians could be called a massacre. Mass shootings are massacres.Massacre can also be used in a more general way to refer to killing on a large-scale, as in This war will result in the massacre of millions. Massacre can also be used as a verb in both of these senses, as in The flock was massacred by the pack of wolves. Massacre is also used figuratively as a noun and a verb in the context of a decisive defeat, especially a one-sided sporting event, as in It was a massacre—we lost 12-0. Example: Every day, the news tells us of yet another massacre of innocent people by a person with a gun.
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