barbarous
gb/bˈɑɹbɚəs/ us/bˈɑɹbɚəs/
C1
English
~ 25900
kegyetlen, embertelen, barbár, fülsértő, durva, hibás
C1
FORMAL
1
kegyetlen
B1
embertelen
B2
Usage pattern:
barbarous [act/crime/treatment/regime] toward [someone]
The dictator was condemned for his barbarous treatment of political prisoners.
A diktátort elítélték a politikai foglyokkal szembeni kegyetlen bánásmódja miatt.
Animal rights groups protested the barbarous slaughter of the captured whales.
Az állatvédő csoportok tiltakoztak a befogott bálnák kegyetlen lemészárlása ellen.
History books describe the battle as a barbarous massacre of unarmed villagers.
Such barbarous acts against civilians may constitute war crimes under international law.
The film shows the barbarous conditions inside the secret prison camp.
Learner examples
The soldiers carried out a barbarous attack on the village.
A katonák brutális támadást hajtottak végre a falu ellen.
The judge called the crime a barbarous act.
A bíró embertelen tettnek nevezte a bűncselekményt.
Many people were shocked by the barbarous treatment of the prisoners.
The report shows the barbarous way the animals were killed.
They want new laws to stop such barbarous practices.
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "barbarous" with the more common word "barbaric". In modern English, "barbaric" is used more frequently in this sense, and "barbarous" sounds more formal or literary. Both usually collocate with words like "act", "crime", and "treatment".
Meaning
extremely cruel and brutal
Collocations
barbarous act
|barbarous crime
|barbarous treatment
|barbarous regime
|barbarous practice
|barbarous attack
Synonyms
brutal (More common in everyday English; slightly broader and less formal than "barbarous".)
|
savage (Adds a sense of wild, uncontrolled cruelty; can sound more emotional or dramatic.)
|
inhuman (Focuses on the cruelty being worse than what a human should be capable of, not just violent.)
Antonyms
humane (Emphasizes kindness and care in the treatment of people or animals, the opposite of cruel and violent.)
|
civilized (Suggests behavior controlled by moral and social standards, not shockingly cruel or violent.)
Themes
violence
|law
|politics
|morality
|emotions
Definition
Very, very cruel and violent, in a way that seems not human.
Shockingly cruel, violent, or inhuman, especially in the way people are treated.
C2
LITERARY
2
barbár
B2
Usage pattern:
barbarous [customs/tribes/age/manners]
The novel is set in what the narrator calls a barbarous age before the rule of law was established.
A regény egy olyan, az elbeszélő által barbárnak nevezett korban játszódik, még a jogrend kialakulása előtt.
Travel writers of the time often described local customs as barbarous, reflecting their own cultural bias.
A korabeli útleírók gyakran barbárnak írták le a helyi szokásokat, ami a saját kulturális elfogultságukat tükrözte.
From our modern perspective, many medieval punishments seem barbarous and superstitious.
He spoke with disdain of what he saw as the barbarous manners of the invading army.
Old textbooks sometimes portrayed non-European societies as barbarous, a view now strongly rejected.
Learner examples
People in the past sometimes called other cultures barbarous.
Régen az emberek néha barbárnak nevezték a más kultúrákat.
Many laws from the Middle Ages now seem barbarous.
A középkorból származó sok törvény ma már barbárnak tűnik.
Some writers used to see foreign customs as barbarous.
The book talks about a barbarous time before modern life.
This word can sound rude when you call a group barbarous.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that calling a people or culture "barbarous" is usually insulting and old-fashioned. In modern English, this sense appears mostly in historical writing or when criticizing older attitudes.
Meaning
uncivilized or culturally primitive
Collocations
barbarous age
|barbarous customs
|barbarous tribes
|barbarous manners
|barbarous times
Synonyms
uncivilized (Close in meaning; more common but can also be offensive when used for people or cultures.)
|
primitive (Focuses more on a low level of technological or social development; also potentially offensive about people.)
|
rough (Less strong and less judgmental; suggests lacking refinement rather than being wholly uncivilized.)
Antonyms
civilized (Suggests having developed social rules, culture, and order, the opposite of being seen as culturally primitive.)
|
cultivated (Adds an idea of refined tastes and good manners, opposite of rough or uncultured.)
Themes
culture
|history
|society
|core_vocabulary
|relationships
Definition
Seen as not civilized or not developed in culture or manners; this use can be offensive when talking about people.
Regarded as uncivilized, rough, or lacking in culture or refinement, especially when describing an era, customs, or people; now often considered offensive when applied to groups.
C2
LITERARY
3
Usage pattern:
a barbarous [noise/accent/music/voice]
The barbarous noise from the construction site made it impossible to concentrate.
Az építkezés felől jövő fülsértő zaj miatt lehetetlen volt koncentrálni.
She winced at the barbarous accent with which he mangled her native language.
Összerezzent attól a fülsértő akcentustól, amellyel a férfi eltorzította az anyanyelvét.
A barbarous clash of drums and horns filled the narrow street.
To his refined ear, the out-of-tune piano produced a truly barbarous sound.
The critic dismissed the piece as little more than a barbarous roar of instruments.
Learner examples
A barbarous noise came from the factory all night.
Egész éjjel fülsértő zaj hallatszott a gyárból.
The old car made a barbarous sound when it started.
A régi autó fülsértő hangot adott, amikor beindult.
He spoke in a barbarous accent that was hard to understand.
The music was loud and barbarous to my ears.
We closed the window to stop the barbarous noise.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes assume "barbarous" always refers to people or behavior. In this sense, it describes the quality of a sound (noise, accent, music), not moral cruelty.
Meaning
harsh, rough, or unpleasant-sounding
Collocations
barbarous noise
|barbarous accent
|barbarous music
|barbarous sound
|barbarous shout
Synonyms
harsh (Common, neutral word for unpleasant sound; "barbarous" is stronger and more literary.)
|
grating (Focuses even more on the irritating, scratchy quality of a sound.)
Antonyms
melodious (Describes sounds that are musical and pleasant to hear, the opposite of harsh and rough.)
|
soft (Highlights gentleness or smoothness of sound, contrasting with roughness.)
Themes
sound
|language
|art
|communication
|arts_entertainment
Definition
Very rough and hard to listen to, especially about sounds, voices, or music.
Harsh, rough, or very unpleasant to the senses, especially to the ear in reference to sounds, accents, or music.
C2
FORMAL
4
Usage pattern:
barbarous [English/construction/phrase/style]
The professor described the sentence as a barbarous construction that no native speaker would use.
A professzor barbár szerkezetnek nevezte a mondatot, olyannak, amelyet anyanyelvi beszélő nem használna.
He apologized for his barbarous English in the early drafts of the report.
Bocsánatot kért a jelentés első vázlataiban használt hibás angolságáért.
To modern readers, some of the translator's choices now seem barbarous and heavy-handed.
Critics attacked the new slogan as both barbarous in style and empty in meaning.
The editor patiently corrected the barbarous grammar throughout the manuscript.
Learner examples
She said my first sentence was barbarous English.
Azt mondta, hogy az első mondatom nagyon hibás angol volt.
The teacher crossed out a barbarous phrase in my essay.
A tanár kihúzott egy hibás kifejezést a fogalmazásomból.
Some people think text messages are full of barbarous grammar.
He spoke good words but in a barbarous style.
The editor fixed many barbarous constructions in the book.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this sense always relates to moral judgment, but here "barbarous" is about the quality of language or style. It is quite formal, and in everyday English people more often say "bad English" or "ungrammatical".
Meaning
crude or incorrect in language
Collocations
barbarous English
|barbarous construction
|barbarous phrase
|barbarous style
|barbarous grammar
Synonyms
ungrammatical (Focuses exactly on breaking grammar rules; less emotional and more technical than "barbarous".)
|
clumsy (Suggests awkward or poorly expressed language, but not always as strongly negative.)
|
vulgar (Can imply language that is low, crude, or lacking in refinement; sometimes about bad taste rather than pure correctness.)
Antonyms
elegant (Suggests language that is not only correct but also refined and pleasing in style.)
Themes
language
|education
|communication
Definition
Very bad or wrong in grammar or style, not following normal or educated language rules.
Crude, incorrect, or very badly formed in terms of language, style, or expression, especially from the point of view of traditional standards.
Grammar
Dictionary form
barbarous
IPA
GB/bˈɑɹbɚəs/
US/bˈɑɹbɚəs/
Syllables & stress
bar - ous (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (bar)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: barbarous
Word family
Core family
barbaric
adjective
barbarian
noun B2
Related words
barbarity
noun
barbarously
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
civilized
adjective
Advanced or less common
barbarism
noun
Expressions
barbarous act
1/bˈɑɹbɚəs ˈækt/
fixed phrase
formal
an extremely cruel action
A very, very cruel thing that someone does.
Examples
- The bombing of the school was condemned worldwide as a barbarous act.
- Leaders from many countries called the attack a barbarous act against innocent civilians.
barbarous crime
1/bˈɑɹbɚəs kɹˈaɪm/
fixed phrase
formal
an extremely cruel crime
A crime that is very cruel and violent in a shocking way.
Examples
- The judge described the murder as a barbarous crime that deserved the maximum sentence.
- Newspapers reported every detail of the barbarous crime, horrifying their readers.
barbarous regime
1/bˈɑɹbɚəs ɹɪʒˈim/
fixed phrase
formal
extremely cruel government
A government that rules in a very cruel and violent way.
Examples
- The international community imposed sanctions on the barbarous regime.
- Thousands fled the country to escape the barbarous regime in power.
barbarous treatment
1/bˈɑɹbɚəs tɹˈitmənt/
fixed phrase
formal
extremely cruel treatment
A way of treating a person or animal that is very cruel and not human.
Examples
- Human rights groups criticized the barbarous treatment of detainees in the prison.
- The documentary exposed the barbarous treatment of animals on some farms.