Langimage
English

massacre

|mas/sa/cre|

B2

🇺🇸

/ˈmæsəkər/

🇬🇧

/ˈmæsəkə/

indiscriminate killing

Etymology
Etymology Information

'massacre' originates from Middle French, specifically the word 'massacre', where 'masse' meant 'mass' and '-acre' was a suffix indicating action.

Historical Evolution

'massacre' changed from the Middle French word 'massacre' and eventually became the modern English word 'massacre'.

Meaning Changes

Initially, it meant 'slaughter of animals', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'indiscriminate killing of people'.

Meanings by Part of Speech

Noun 1

the brutal and indiscriminate killing of a large number of people.

The massacre of innocent civilians shocked the world.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Verb 1

to kill a large number of people indiscriminately and brutally.

The army massacred the villagers without mercy.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Last updated: 2025/01/20 06:09