barbarity

noun

bar·​bar·​i·​ty bär-ˈber-ə-tē How to pronounce barbarity (audio)
-ˈba-rə-
plural barbarities
Synonyms of barbaritynext
1
: barbarism
2
a
: barbarous cruelty : inhumanity
b
: an act or instance of such cruelty

Synonyms of barbarity

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of barbarity in a Sentence

The barbarity of the attack was horrifying. The photos vividly capture the war's barbarity. He is accused of inflicting unimaginable barbarities on his own people.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Cathy escapes, the Jimmies' numbers are diminished, and the stomach-churning barbarity finally comes to an end. — Megan McCluskey, Time, 16 Jan. 2026 The barbarity of the institution, meanwhile, is self-evident—but rarely does an author present its abuses so powerfully and vividly. — The Atlantic, 14 May 2026 His observations about the barbarity of women’s beauty regimens aren’t exactly new, but they are acted out with enthusiasm and verve. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2026 The Emperor’s battle arena, for example, is a marvel of moody set design, its barbarity brought to life by the throngs of people crowding to watch the action from atop its grated roof. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 22 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for barbarity

Word History

First Known Use

1566, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of barbarity was in 1566

Rhymes for barbarity

See All Rhymes for barbarity

Browse Nearby Words

barbarism
barbarity
barbarization
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Barbarity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barbarity. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

barbarity

noun
bar·​bar·​i·​ty bär-ˈbar-ət-ē How to pronounce barbarity (audio)
plural barbarities
1
: barbarism
2
a
: cruelty sense 1
b
: a cruel act

More from Merriam-Webster on barbarity

Nglish: Translation of barbarity for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All