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Definition of barbarize

barbarize

/ˈbɑːrbəraɪz/
(UK: barbarise)
bar · bar · ize
Adverb:barbarously
•
Adjective:barbarous
•
Past Simple:barbarized
•
Past Participle:barbarized
•
Present Participle:barbarizing
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barbarize Lexical Profile

barbarize Game Scores & Validity

• verb

1

To make or become uncivilized, crude, or brutal in character or customs.

Example

"Prolonged social isolation and lawlessness threatened to barbarize the frontier settlement."

2

To corrupt the purity of a language or literary style by introducing foreign, improper, or unidiomatic expressions.

Example

"Purists argued that the rapid influx of unassimilated loanwords would barbarize the classical literary tongue."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
View all antonyms for barbarize

• Rhymes for barbarize

• Nearby Words

barbarically
barbarism
barbarity
barbarize
barbarous
barbarously
barbecue

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in the late 16th century from Middle French barbariser or Late Latin barbarizare, from Ancient Greek barbarizein ('to act or speak like a foreigner'), derived from barbaros ('foreign, non-Greek').

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Barbarize. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/barbarize
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