French word

barbare

Pronunciation

IPA/baʁbaʁ/

Meaning

  • adjectivesavage

Example

C'est barbare.

It's savage.

Illustration for barbare (savage)

More examples

Il a commis un geste barbare.

He made a barbaric gesture.

Core concept

A person or act that ignores civilized restraint and uses brutal force against others.

Common phrases

  • acte barbare

    barbaric act

  • comportement barbare

    barbaric behavior

Similar words

violent: Involving physical force that causes harm to people or things.
cruel: Causing suffering deliberately and showing no compassion for others.
brutal: Marked by forceful, rough, and often damaging treatment.
sauvage: Displaying wild, rough behavior beyond normal social control.

Definition in French

Qui manque de civilisation et agit avec violence ou cruauté envers les autres.

Word origin

French barbare comes from Latin barbarus, borrowed from Greek barbaros for a foreign speaker, and later acquired senses of uncivilized, violent, and cruel.

Usage tips

  • Barbare has the same form in masculine and feminine, as in un acte barbare and une conduite barbare.

Other meanings

  • crueladjective

Opposites

Related words

  • barbariebarbaritynoun
  • barbarementbarbaricallyadverb

Word lists with this word