If you describe something as barbarous, you strongly disapprove of it because you think that it is rough and uncivilized.
[disapproval]
He thought the poetry of Whitman barbarous.
Synonyms: uncivilized, wild, rough, gross More Synonyms of barbarous
2. adjective
If you describe something as barbarous, you strongly disapprove of it because you think that it is extremely cruel.
[disapproval]
...a barbarous attack.
More Synonyms of barbarous
barbarous in British English
(ˈbɑːbərəs)
adjective
1.
uncivilized; primitive
2.
brutal or cruel
3.
lacking refinement
Derived forms
barbarously (ˈbarbarously)
adverb
barbarousness (ˈbarbarousness)
noun
Word origin
C15: via Latin from Greek barbaros barbarian, non-Greek, in origin imitative of incomprehensible speech; compare Sanskritbarbara stammering, non-Aryan
barbarous in American English
(ˈbɑrbərəs)
adjective
1. Obsolete
foreign or alien; in the ancient world, non-Greek, non-Roman, or non-Christian
2.
characterized by substandard usages in speaking or writing
3.
characteristic of barbarians; primitive or lacking in civilization
4.
uncultured, crude, coarse, rough, etc.
5.
cruel; brutal
6.
harsh in sound; raucous
SIMILAR WORDS: barˈbarian
Derived forms
barbarously (ˈbarbarously)
adverb
barbarousness (ˈbarbarousness)
noun
Word origin
L barbarus < Gr barbaros, foreign, strange, ignorant < IE echoic base *barbar-, used for unintelligible speech of foreigners > Sans barbara-, stammering, non-Aryan
Examples of 'barbarous' in a sentence
barbarous
The second was his dislike of the barbarous treatment methods then in fashion.
Shreeve, Dr Caroline M Lower Your Blood Pressure in 4 Easy Stages (1989)
Byzantium certainly has its brutal and barbarous moments.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The allies fought to destroy a barbarous regime and avert the still more terrible outcome that would have followed its victory.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
What it is is an appalling, barbarous regime.
The Sun (2015)
I would love to hear their justification for such a barbarous attack.
The Sun (2014)
To impose retribution on all those guilty of barbarous acts would have required tens of thousands of executions, for which the Allies lacked stomach.
Max Hastings Nemesis: The Battle for Japan, 194445 (2007)
1 (adjective)
Definition
uncivilized
He thought the poetry of Whitman barbarous.
Synonyms
uncivilized
mutual accusations of uncivilized behaviour
wild
the wild tribes which still roam the northern plains with their horse herds
rough
He was rough and common.
gross
That's a disgusting thing to say – you're so gross!
savage
a savage people
primitive
studies of primitive societies
rude
a rude barbarian
coarse
They don't know how to behave, and are coarse and insulting.
vulgar
barbarian
rude and barbarian people
philistine
the country's philistine, consumerist mentality
uneducated
It looks amateurish to the uneducated eye.
brutish
The man was brutish and coarse.
unsophisticated
uncouth
that oafish, uncouth person
uncultivated
unpolished
an uncouth and unpolished yokel
uncultured
unmannered
2 (adjective)
Definition
brutal or cruel
It was a barbarous attack on a purely civilian train.
Synonyms
brutal
He was the victim of a very brutal attack.
cruel
They should spend a long time in jail to reflect on their cruel acts.
the persecution of prisoners by cruel captors
savage
This was a savage and needless attack.
vicious
He suffered a vicious attack by a group of gang members.
ruthless
a ruthless totalitarian power
ferocious
Fighting has been ferocious.
monstrous
A monstrous crime has been committed.
barbaric
a particularly barbaric act of violence
heartless
I couldn't believe they were so heartless.
inhuman
The barbaric slaughter of whales is unnecessary and inhuman.
merciless
the merciless efficiency of a modern police state
remorseless
the capacity for quick, remorseless violence
pitiless
He saw the pitiless eyes of his enemy.
3 (adjective)
Synonyms
ignorant
They don't ask questions for fear of appearing ignorant.
crude
a crude sense of humour
coarse
He wore a shepherd's tunic of coarse cloth.
a tablespoon of coarse sea salt
vulgar
a TV show well known for its vulgar jokes
unrefined
an unrefined boor
uncultured
unlettered
Such misconceptions have not been confined to the unlettered masses.