barbed

adjective
UK: /bɑːbd/
US: /bɑːrbd/

  1. Having barbs; fitted with barbs.

    1. The barbed wire kept the animals in. [ ] [ ]
    2. We used barbed wire to create a strong fence around the property. [ ] [ ]

  2. Sharp and critical; expressing unkind comments.

    1. She gave him a barbed look. [ ] [ ]
    2. His barbed comments hurt her feelings, although he claimed he was joking. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

caustic cutting sarcastic spiky prickly
barbed verb

  1. Past tense and past participle of the verb 'to barb', meaning to equip with barbs.

    1. The wire was barbed for extra security. [ ] [ ]
    2. The fishing hook had been barbed to prevent the fish from escaping. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "barbed" in English means: Having barbs; fitted with barbs., Sharp and critical; expressing unkind comments..

The phonetic transcription of "barbed" is /bɑːbd/ in British English and /bɑːrbd/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "barbed": caustic, cutting, sarcastic, spiky, prickly.

Example usage of "barbed": "The barbed wire kept the animals in.". More examples on the page.