barbarous
barbarous — adjective
- barbarouspositive
- more barbarouscomparative
- most barbaroussuperlative
1. very cruel and violent in a way that shocks people, or showing no education, goo
very cruel and violent in a way that shocks people, or showing no education, good manners, or the kind of culture expected in modern society.
The warlord's barbarous attack on the farming village left fifty families homeless.
collocation: barbarous attack
Abigail's grandfather insisted that eating with one's elbows on the table was a barbarous habit.
describes a social custom as unacceptable
A recent documentary exposed the barbarous conditions inside the military detention camp.
Diya felt sick after reading about the barbarous treatment of workers in the mine.
Elena refused to watch the film because it glorified barbarous violence against innocent people.
- cruel
more common, everyday word; focuses on causing pain without the 'uncivilised' connotation
- savage
similar range of meaning (both cruel and primitive), but more informal and emotionally stronger
- brutal
focuses on physical violence and harshness; lacks the 'lacking culture' sense
- uncivilized
emphasises the lack of culture/refinement rather than cruelty
文法句型
barbarous + noun (act, attack, behaviour, treatment, custom)
linking verb + barbarous (seem barbarous, find something barbarous)
用法筆記
More common in written or formal English than in casual conversation. Unlike 'cruel', which focuses only on causing pain, 'barbarous' also carries a sense of being uncivilised or lacking refinement. Context determines whether the cruelty sense or the uncultured sense is primary.