pogrom

1 of 2

noun

po·​grom pə-ˈgräm How to pronounce pogrom (audio)
-ˈgrəm, 
pō-;
ˈpō-grəm, 
ˈpä- How to pronounce pogrom (audio)
Synonyms of pogromnext
: an organized massacre of helpless people
specifically : such a massacre of Jews

pogrom

2 of 2

verb

pogromed; pogroming; pogroms

transitive verb

: to massacre or destroy in a pogrom

Examples of pogrom in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
In conversations with the American Jewish Committee, Ossoff shared that his father is of Russian and Lithuanian Jewish descent, and his relatives fled pogroms and antisemitism in Eastern Europe. — Irene Wright, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026 America is the ultimate answer to the pogrom, and to the emancipation Europe offered on the condition of relinquishing Jewish ethnic and cultural distinctiveness. — Rory Lancman, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026 A lot of Eastern European Jewish refugees arrived in France after the pogroms and worked as tailors and seamstresses for the couture houses. — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026 Anti-Jewish riots, or pogroms, swept Russia in the late 19th century. — John Blake, CNN Money, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for pogrom

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Yiddish, from Russian, literally, devastation

First Known Use

Noun

1891, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1915, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pogrom was in 1891

Rhymes for pogrom

See All Rhymes for pogrom

Browse Nearby Words

pogo stick
pogrom
pogromist
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pogrom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pogrom. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on pogrom

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for pogrom

Nglish: Translation of pogrom for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pogrom

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of expeditious

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All