Massacre

Definition

The deliberate and brutal killing of many people.

Parts of Speech

• Noun
• Verb

Pronunciation

American English

• IPA Pronunciation: /ˈmæsəkər/
• Respelling: MAS-uh-kur (with "MAS" as in "mass," "uh" as in "sofa," and "kur" as in "cur")

British English

• IPA Pronunciation: /ˈmæsəkə/
• Respelling: MAS-uh-kuh (with "MAS" as in "mass," "uh" as in "sofa," and "kuh" as in "sofa")

In both dialects, "massacre" places the primary stress on the first syllable, "MAS." The pronunciation differs slightly between American and British English, with "MAS-uh-kur" in American English and "MAS-uh-kuh" in British English.

The term "massacre" originates from the Old French word "macecler" which means "to butcher" or "to slaughter". It is possibly derived from Vulgar Latin "mattāculāre", from "mattāre", meaning "to kill" or "to slaughter".

Derivatives

• Massacrer
• Massacring
• Massacred
• Massacre-like
• Unmassacred

Synonyms

• Slaughter
• Carnage
• Bloodbath

Antonyms

None

Usage

• The massacre of innocent civilians during the war was condemned globally.
• The film portrayed a historical massacre in graphic detail.

Related Terms

• Genocide
• Extermination
• Annihilation
• Pogrom
• Atrocity

Detailed Definition

Noun

• An act of killing a lot of people, especially those who cannot defend themselves.
• Example: The massacre in the village left no survivors.

• A defeat in a game or competition, especially by a large margin.
• Example: The team faced a massacre in the championship game, losing by 20 points.

Verb

• To kill many people in a violent and cruel manner.
• Example: The army massacred the protesters without mercy.

• To defeat someone easily and by a large margin in a game or competition.
• Example: Our team was massacred in the finals.