barbarian
/bɑːˈbeəriən/ (bre, ipa) · /bɑːrˈberiən/ (ame, ipa) · /bär-ˈber-ē-ən/ (ame, mw)
barbarian — noun
- barbariansingular
- barbariansplural
1. a person who belongs to a group that people from a more powerful or developed so
a person who belongs to a group that people from a more powerful or developed society regard as wild, violent, and uncultured — a term most often used in historical writing about peoples outside the ancient Greek, Roman, or Christian world.
A Roman general described northern tribes as barbarians who knew nothing of law or city life.
described + as + barbarians + relative clause
Aisha's history textbook used the word 'barbarian' for any group the ancient Greeks considered uncivilized.
use the word 'barbarian' for + group
When the northern army broke through the gate, the townspeople fled in fear of the barbarians.
Professor Ananya showed her class a map and explained why Romans called other nations barbarians.
In ancient China, nomadic peoples were sometimes called barbarians by the imperial court.
- civilized person
someone from a society the speaker considers advanced and orderly
文法句型
barbarian + verb
call/label/see + someone + as + a barbarian
用法筆記
This sense carries a strong historical bias and reflects the viewpoint of the speaker. Applying the word to real modern ethnic or cultural groups is now widely considered offensive.
常見錯誤
2. someone who has little education and shows no interest in art, literature, or in
someone who has little education and shows no interest in art, literature, or intellectual matters — used as a disapproving label for a person whose tastes or manners do not match the speaker's standards.
Diego called his roommate a barbarian for never picking up a book or visiting a museum.
call + someone + a barbarian + for + gerund
The art critic described the new building as something a barbarian would design — ugly and pointless.
Mei felt like a barbarian at the opera because she did not understand any of the songs.
Camila rolled her eyes and called her brother a barbarian for saying books were boring.
Kwame's father joked that modern teenagers are barbarians who only care about video games.
- philistine
more specific to rejecting art and intellectual culture; slightly more formal
- boor
focuses on rude manners rather than lack of education
- yahoo
informal, humorous; from Swift's Gulliver's Travels
- intellectual
someone who values education and intellectual activities
- connoisseur
someone with deep knowledge and appreciation of art or culture
文法句型
call + someone + a barbarian
act like a barbarian
用法筆記
Unlike the historical sense (noun sense 1), this sense is about personal taste and education rather than cultural background. It is almost always used as an insult or self-deprecating joke.
常見錯誤
barbarian — adjective
- barbarianpositive
- more barbariancomparative
- most barbariansuperlative
1. relating to or characteristic of a people or culture that the speaker's own grou
relating to or characteristic of a people or culture that the speaker's own group regards as less civilized, less advanced, or fundamentally alien — used mainly in historical or anthropological contexts.
The film showed a barbarian tribe attacking a Roman fort with simple wooden weapons.
barbarian + tribe / barbarian + noun before noun
Yuki studied barbarian customs in her anthropology class and found they were more complex than the legends suggested.
Ancient writers often used barbarian art as a symbol of everything their own culture was not.
The explorer's journal described the islanders' way of life as barbarian, even though they had their own rich traditions.
Roman historians wrote about barbarian nations along the empire's borders with a mixture of fear and curiosity.
- uncivilized
broader; can apply to any society judged as not advanced
- primitive
more neutral and technical in anthropology; less value-laden
文法句型
barbarian + noun (people/culture/customs/art)
用法筆記
Modern scholars seldom apply this word neutrally because it carries the value judgment of the society doing the labeling. Prefer terms like 'non-Roman' or 'pastoral' for factual description.
2. showing a complete lack of good taste, education, or artistic appreciation — des
showing a complete lack of good taste, education, or artistic appreciation — describing actions, objects, or attitudes that the speaker finds shockingly coarse.
Carlos found his neighbor's taste in furniture barbarian — all cheap plastic items and clashing colors.
taste + in + noun + barbarian
The critic called the play a barbarian production that ruined a well-known classic story.
called + noun phrase + barbarian + noun
Fatima thought the graffiti on the ancient wall was a barbarian act with no artistic value.
Lin refused to attend the ceremony, calling it a barbarian display of wealth and bad taste.
Throwing trash on the street is a barbarian habit that shows no respect for others in the community.
文法句型
barbarian + noun (taste/behavior/habit/act)
用法筆記
Distinguish from adjective sense 1: this sense judges a person's taste or behavior, not their cultural background. It implies the speaker has higher standards of refinement.