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barbarously

barbarously

8.3
In a cruel, violent way that hurts people
  • adverb
  • /ˈbɑːrbərəsli/
translation icon : barbaramente
  • The animals were mistreated barbarously in the illegal fighting ring, leading to public outrage.

Examples

  • Most being unable to, they were barbarously punished, against the express wish of Your Christian Majesties...

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Thus to barbarously split and infinitive is barbaric.

  • Traveling to Crab Orchard, Kentucky, he similarly hears from whites how "a Cherokee was killed, in cold blood, by their unruly people," whom "they acknowledged... were barbarously cruel" (161).

    Academic text (2016)
  • In the view of a European observer in the early 1820s, Ogbebo was the favorite of the inhabitants of Benin, yet he was deposed after a sanguinary conflict in which many chiefs were killed, and the rest of the conquered were afterwards barbarously put to death (Royal Gold.

    Academic text (1991)
  • The villagers were treated barbarously during the invasion, suffering immense cruelty at the hands of the soldiers.

  • He acted barbarously towards those who disagreed with him, showing no mercy or compassion.

Synonyms

brutally
vsbarbarously
  • Offensive
142 6.1

In a cruel or very harsh way that causes harm

is more about uncivilized or primitive cruelty than general harshness
harshly
vsbarbarously
49 3.5

In a severe or unkind way that feels unpleasant

is more brutal and uncivilized than general severity or unkindness
roughly
vsbarbarously
36 1.4

In a hard, violent way that shows no care

is more severe and uncivilized rather than merely careless roughness
viciously
vsbarbarously
34 5.7

In a cruel and violent way

is similar but focuses more on uncivilized or barbaric nature
savagely
vsbarbarously
  • NSFW
22 6.7

In a very violent and cruel way

is similar but stresses uncivilized brutal behavior more than mere fierceness
mercilessly
vsbarbarously
22 6.4

In a way that shows no pity

is harsher adding brutal uncivilized force beyond simple mercy absence
ruthlessly
vsbarbarously
18 6.6

To act without pity and treat people very harshly

is more about brutal uncivilized violence than mere lack of pity
cruelly
vsbarbarously
16 3.0

In a way that hurts people on purpose

is broader adding an uncivilized violent quality beyond deliberate harm
ferociously
vsbarbarously
12 5.6

In a very strong and angry way

is more about uncivilized cruelty rather than strong intensity alone
callously
vsbarbarously
7 7.7

In a way that shows no care for other people's feelings

is harsher adding violent uncivilized brutality beyond emotional coldness
wickedly
vsbarbarously
5 6.3

In an evil and cruel way that harms other people

is more about barbaric uncivilized violence than moral evil alone
monstrously
vsbarbarously
5 6.8

In a very cruel and shocking way

is similar but adds primitive uncivilized violence rather than only shock
unmercifully
vsbarbarously
3 7.6

In a very harsh and cruel way showing no kindness

is more violent and uncivilized than mere lack of compassion
sadistically
vsbarbarously
  • Offensive
3 8.4

In a cruel way that shows pleasure when other people are hurt

is similar but stresses uncivilized brutality not pleasure in harm
gruesomely
vsbarbarously
  • NSFW
2 6.9

In a way that shocks and disgusts people

is more about crude uncivilized cruelty than shock or ugly detail
nastily
vsbarbarously
2 5.1

In an unpleasant, angry, or mean way

is more violent and brutal rather than just spiteful unpleasantness
hellishly
vsbarbarously
2 8.8

In a very intense and unpleasant way

is more about actual uncivilized brutality rather than intense unpleasantness
abusively
vsbarbarously
  • NSFW
2 6.3

In a cruel way that often uses hurtful words or actions

is more physical and uncivilized than verbal or general abusive acts
bloodily
vsbarbarously
  • NSFW
1 7.5

In a violent way that causes a lot of bleeding and injury

is broader focusing on cruel uncivilized action beyond bloody injury
heinously
vsbarbarously
  • Formal
1 8.4

To do something in a very shocking and cruel way

is similar but adds an uncivilized physical brutality focus instead of moral judgment
meanly
vsbarbarously
1 7.0

In a cruel way that shows unkind feelings and hurts others

is stronger and more uncivilized than mere petty unkindness
pitilessly
vsbarbarously
1 7.6

In a way that shows no pity or mercy

is stronger implying brutal uncivilized cruelty rather than only absence of pity
vilely
vsbarbarously
1 8.2

In a very cruel and unfair way

is similar but emphasizes raw uncivilized cruelty rather than moral disgust
barbarically
vsbarbarously
1 7.5

In a cruel and violent way that shows no kindness

is the same meaning but uses a different adverb form
brutishly
vsbarbarously
  • NSFW
1 8.1

In a cruel and violent way that hurts people

is more about uncivilized human cruelty than brute-like behavior
cattily
vsbarbarously
1 8.9

Says things in a mean, slightly cruel way to hurt someone

is rougher and physically brutal rather than sly verbal cruelty
ungently
vsbarbarously
1 8.0

In a rough way that hurts or upsets someone

is stronger adding brutal uncivilized violence beyond simple roughness
bestially
vsbarbarously
  • NSFW
9.1

In a violent, cruel way like a wild animal

is about uncivilized brutality in humans rather than animal likeness
medievally
vsbarbarously
9.6

In a very harsh and old-fashioned way that is cruel

is similar but focuses on uncivilized brutality without historical or old sense
abrasively
vsbarbarously
6.5

In a harsh, rude way that upsets people when speaking or acting

is more violent and uncivilized than merely irritating or rough behavior

Antonyms

14 3.7

In a kind and careful way that avoids causing harm to people or animals

12 4.2

In a polite and respectful way

How Cruel

inhumanely
  • NSFW
1 7.0
savagely
  • NSFW
22 6.7
brutally
  • Offensive
142 6.1
barbarously
8.3
cruelly
16 3.0
harshly
49 3.5

Surface Forms

barbarously positive
barbarouslyer comparative
barbarouslyest superlative

Morphology

barbarously = barbarous (transparent) = barbar + ous + ly

Formed by the regular adverbial suffix '-ly' added to the adjective 'barbarous', yielding a standard manner adverb.

Etymology

Barbarously comes from the old Greek word barbaros, a name for people who spoke a strange 'bar-bar' sound and were seen as outsiders or 'uncivilized'. That's why barbarously means doing something cruelly or in an uncivilized way, and it is related to the word barbarian.