barb

noun

one of the parallel filaments projecting from the main shaft of a feather

a subsidiary point facing opposite from the main point that makes an arrowhead or spear hard to remove

the pointed part of barbed wire

an aggressive remark directed at a person like a missile and intended to have a telling effect

verb

provide with barbs

Roots

barbabarb- · Latin · beard

Synonyms for barb

barbule barbeln

Words related to barb

barbicel peggyadj bobn judyadj pheon jill debbyadj sheila ragbolt tammyn bethn nancyn sallyn tammie rickn debn margen jeanette caroln bradn hankn rodn pennin curtadj randyadj jerryn dan donnan jeff barbwiren

Synonyms & related words for barb

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of barb — including barbule, barbel. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to barb

Explore words related to barb — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include barbicel, peggy, bob, judy, pheon, jill, debby, sheila. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for barb

Common synonyms for barb include barbule, barbel — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does barb come from?

The word barb breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root barb-, from Latin barba (“beard”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.