barbarian

/bɑːˈbeəriən/ (bre, ipa) · /bɑːrˈberiən/ (ame, ipa) · /bär-ˈber-ē-ən/ (ame, mw)

barbarian — 名詞

  • barbariansingular
  • barbariansplural

1. a person who belongs to a group that people from a more powerful or developed so

1.名詞B2
釋義

野蠻人

被視為未開化且暴力的外族人

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.

例句

A Roman general described northern tribes as barbarians who knew nothing of law or city life.

一位羅馬將軍將北方部落描述為野蠻人，說他們對法律或城市生活一無所知。

described + as + barbarians + relative clause

Aisha's history textbook used the word 'barbarian' for any group the ancient Greeks considered uncivilized.

Aisha的歷史課本用「野蠻人」來稱呼古希臘人認為未開化的任何族群。

use the word 'barbarian' for + group

同義詞
  • savage

    stronger emphasis on violence and cruelty; even more dehumanizing than barbarian

  • primitive

    focuses on lack of technological or social development, less emotional charge

  • heathen

    religious rather than cultural; refers to people outside the speaker's faith

反義詞
  • 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

❌The Celts were barbarians because they wore trousers.
✅The ancient Romans described the Celts as barbarians because Roman writers saw Celtic culture as less advanced.
💡The word reveals the speaker's cultural bias, not a fact about the group.

2. someone who has little education and shows no interest in art, literature, or in

2.名詞B2
釋義

沒教養者

對文藝毫無興趣的粗魯之人

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.

例句

Diego called his roommate a barbarian for never picking up a book or visiting a museum.

Diego 說他的室友是野蠻人，因為那人從不讀書也不去美術館。

call + someone + a barbarian + for + gerund

The art critic described the new building as something a barbarian would design — ugly and pointless.

那位藝術評論家說這棟新建築就像野蠻人設計的一樣——既難看又毫無意義。

同義詞
  • 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

反義詞
  • 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

❌My uncle is a barbarian who plays music too loud.
✅My uncle acts like a barbarian when he plays loud music late at night.
💡The noun describes a kind of person; for temporary behavior, use 'act like a barbarian.'

barbarian — 形容詞