barbarianizing
|bar-ba-ri-an-ize-ing|
🇺🇸
/ˌbɑɹbəˈreɪnaɪz/
🇬🇧
/ˌbɑːbəˈreɪnaɪz/
(barbarianize)
make barbaric
Etymology
'barbarianize' originates from English, specifically formed from the noun 'barbarian' plus the productive suffix '-ize', where 'barbarian' ultimately comes from Greek 'barbaros' meaning 'foreign' or 'non-Greek (babbling)' and '-ize' means 'to make or render'.
'barbaros' (Greek) passed into Latin as 'barbarus', then into Old French and Middle English as 'barbar'/'barbarian'; modern English formed 'barbarianize' by combining 'barbarian' with the suffix '-ize' in the modern period to mean 'make barbaric'.
Initially related to the idea of 'foreignness' or 'uncanny speech' (i.e. not speaking Greek), the root came to imply 'savage' or 'uncivilized'; over time the verb form evolved to mean 'to make or treat as uncivilized', a usage maintained in modern English.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
to make barbaric or savage; to render uncivilized or brutal
Critics accused the regime of barbarianizing entire districts through indiscriminate bombing.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Verb 2
to treat (a people or group) as if they were barbarians; to stigmatize or dehumanize
Some colonial texts were criticized for barbarianizing indigenous peoples in order to justify conquest.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/14 00:06