mindmap root((野蛮)) barbarian often implies a state midway between tribal savagery and full civilization: traded with ~ peoples to the north. barbaric tends to imply a wild profusion and lack of restraint that is indicative of crudity of taste and lack of self-restraint: punished the animal with ~ crudity. barbarous is more likely to imply uncivilized cruelty or ruthlessness or sometimes complete lack of cultivated taste and refinement: outlawed the ~ practices of war. savage in its basic use implies less advance toward civilization than barbarian: a ~ tribe with a gathering economy; and in its extended use is ordinarily very close to barbarous: a ~ attack.