BARBED Synonyms: 89 Similar and Opposite Words

barbed

adjective

ˈbärbd

Definition of barbed

as in satiric

marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings barbed satire on American academia

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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.

Recent Examples of barbed Though barbed wire and sandbags protected against physical intrusion, the real threat came from within. — Literary Hub, 28 July 2026 These prickly hairs are for protection, with barbed ends that easily penetrate the skin of predators or your hand. — Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 26 July 2026 The confrontation between father and daughter, in which Taylor-Joy unloads Lucky’s resentments about growing up in the life, is one of the season’s most barbed moments. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 15 July 2026 But his view of Adrian’s methods, goals, and way of life end up making the bond of mentorship both tenuous and barbed. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for barbed

Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbed

Adjective

Piker fell in love with Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show and Turkish satirical newspapers and cartoons.

— Josh Eells, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2026
The satirical scenes of Kris’ agent (Sarah Sherman) getting annoyed that her client can’t pitch a four-quadrant movie are hilarious while also ringing of truth.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of satiric

Adjective

Meanwhile, Rogen and Nanjiani manage to steal multiple scenes as the voices of the ladies’ cats Dio and GG, two sarcastic felines who are fed up with their burnout owners.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026
This was Perez Hilton, after all, a man who had earned fame in the mid-two-thousands for his salacious, sarcastic, and often sadistic coverage of celebrity suffering.

— Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of sarcastic

Adjective

The pacing is more frenetic, the narration more biting, the flashbacks more jarring, and the comedowns much harsher.

— Hannah Giorgis Yohannes, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026
Described as a biting political thriller in the tradition of Wild in the Streets and V for Vendetta, The Hunted is set in a dystopian America where trans people are brutalized and erased to the margins of society.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 20 June 2026

Definition of biting

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barbecues

barbed

barber

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“Barbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbed. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of barbed

adjective

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