mas·sa·cre
ˈma-si-kər 
1
: the act or an instance of killing a number of usually helpless or unresisting human beings under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty
witnessed the massacre of a boatload of refugees
2
: a cruel or wanton (see wanton entry 1 sense 1a) murder
3
: a wholesale slaughter of animals
Residents engaged in a citywide cat massacre.
4
: an act of complete destruction
the author's massacre of traditional federalist presuppositions—
R. G. McCloskey
R. G. McCloskeythe Puritan massacre of statues and pictures—Robert Hughes
Robert Hughes
massacred; massacring
ˈma-si-k(ə-)riŋ
1
: to kill by massacre
2
: mangle sense 2
words were misspelled and syntax massacred—Bice Clemow
Bice ClemowSynonyms
Examples of massacre in a Sentence
Noun
The game turned out to be a complete massacre.
the infamous massacre of more than 200 Sioux at Wounded Knee, South Dakota
Verb
Hundreds have been massacred in the uprising.
The other team really massacred us on Saturday.
He really massacred that song.
Recent Examples on the Web
Emily Blackwood, People.com, 13 Jan. 2025
Moreover, although the 1921 report asserts that the massacre (then called a riot) was not the result of 'racial feeling,' perpetrators of the massacre overtly expressed and acted upon racial bias.
—Sabina Ghebremedhin, ABC News, 11 Jan. 2025
Declan Walsh, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
After 1099, when Christian armies conquered Jerusalem in the First Crusade and massacred the city’s Muslim and Jewish inhabitants, some 50,000 Jews reportedly fled to Damascus, making up nearly a third of residents.
—Bassem Mroue, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for massacre 
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Noun
Here’s everything to know about the real-life massacre that inspired the six-episode series — and how faithful the dramatization is to the historical event.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 13 Jan. 2025
Moreover, although the 1921 report asserts that the massacre (then called a riot) was not the result of 'racial feeling,' perpetrators of the massacre overtly expressed and acted upon racial bias.
—Sabina Ghebremedhin, ABC News, 11 Jan. 2025
Verb
The military has repeatedly massacred civilians in indiscriminate bombing raids, sometimes killing dozens at once.
—Declan Walsh, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
After 1099, when Christian armies conquered Jerusalem in the First Crusade and massacred the city’s Muslim and Jewish inhabitants, some 50,000 Jews reportedly fled to Damascus, making up nearly a third of residents.
—Bassem Mroue, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for massacre
Articles Related to massacre
Dictionary Entries Near massacre
Cite this Entry
“Massacre.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/massacre. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
massacre
1 of 2 verb
mas·sa·cre
ˈmas-i-kər
massacred; massacring
-k(ə-)riŋ
: to kill in a massacre : slaughter
massacrer
noun
-i-kər-ər
-i-krər
massacre
2 of 2 noun
: the violent and cruel killing of a number of persons
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