barbarous

The definition of barbarous is something that is uncivilized or crude.

(adjective)

Killing people for no reason is an example of a barbarous act.

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See barbarous in Webster's New World College Dictionary

adjective

  1. Obsolete foreign or alien; in the ancient world, non-Greek, non-Roman, or non-Christian
  2. characterized by substandard usages in speaking or writing
  3. characteristic of barbarians; primitive or lacking in civilization
  4. uncultured, crude, coarse, rough, etc.
  5. cruel; brutal
  6. harsh in sound; raucous

Origin: L barbarus < Gr barbaros, foreign, strange, ignorant < IE echoic base *barbar-, used for unintelligible speech of foreigners > Sans barbara-, stammering, non-Aryan

Related Forms:

See barbarous in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective
  1. Primitive in culture and customs; uncivilized.
  2. Lacking refinement or culture; coarse.
  3. Characterized by savagery; very cruel. See Synonyms at cruel.
  4. Marked by the use or occurrence of barbarisms in spoken or written language.

Origin:

Origin: From Latin barbarus

Origin: , from Greek barbaros, non-Greek, foreign; see barbarism

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Related Forms:

  • barˈba·rous·ly adverb
  • barˈba·rous·ness noun

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