barbarous

[ bahr-ber-uhs ]

adjective

1. uncivilized; wild; savage; crude.
2. savagely cruel or harsh:

   The prisoners of war were given barbarous treatment.

   Synonyms: brutal, inhuman, ferocious

3. full of harsh sounds; noisy; discordant:

   an evening of wild and barbarous music.

4. not conforming to classical standards or accepted usage, as language.
5. foreign; alien.
6. (among ancient Greeks) designating a person or thing of non-Greek origin.

barbarous

/ ˈbɑːbərəs /

adjective

1. uncivilized; primitive
2. brutal or cruel
3. lacking refinement

Derived Forms

• ˈbarbarousness, noun
• ˈbarbarously, adverb

Other Words From

• barba·rous·ly adverb
• barba·rous·ness noun
• hyper·barbar·ous adjective
• hyper·barbar·ous·ly adverb
• hyper·barbar·ous·ness noun
• non·barba·rous adjective
• non·barba·rous·ly adverb
• non·barba·rous·ness noun
• pre·barba·rous adjective
• pre·barba·rous·ly adverb
• pre·barba·rous·ness noun
• un·barba·rous adjective
• un·barba·rous·ly adverb
• un·barba·rous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of barbarous¹

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin barbarus < Greek bárbaros non-Greek, foreign, barbarian; akin to Sanskrit barbara stammering, non-Aryan; -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of barbarous¹

C15: via Latin from Greek barbaros barbarian, non-Greek, in origin imitative of incomprehensible speech; compare Sanskrit barbara stammering, non-Aryan

Synonym Study

See barbarian.

Example Sentences

Rome’s story then does not warn us of the danger of barbarous outsiders toppling a society from within.

From Time

The collective trauma created by these barbarous acts is impossible to imagine, both in the U.S. and in the Middle East.

From The Daily Beast

Orwellian, Malthusian, barbarous, depraved…I think you get me.

From The Daily Beast

They wanted members of the public to see the consequence of what can only be described as their barbarous acts.

From The Daily Beast

However, very little information is gleaned from these barbarous methods.

From The Daily Beast

The Barbarous Years, the long-awaited companion to Voyagers to the West, is an even greater achievement.

From The Daily Beast

I have been accused of showing irreverence towards these barbarous kings and priests.

From Project Gutenberg

He wrote verses with elegance in French, Spanish and Italian, and was a polisher of his native language in a barbarous age.

From Project Gutenberg

Edward sent him to London, 'fettered on a hackney,' to undergo the same barbarous death as his heroic brother.

From Project Gutenberg

Curiosity induced Mr. Cunningham and myself to view this barbarous feast and we landed about ten minutes after it had commenced.

From Project Gutenberg

Their garb, their gestures, their salutations, had a wild and barbarous character.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• atrocious
• barbaric
• brutal
• cruel
• heartless
• inhuman
• inhumane
• rude
• ruthless
• sadistic
• uncivilized
• unsophisticated
• vicious
• vulgar