massacre means the killing of a considerable number (usually limited to people) where little or no resistance can be made, with indiscriminate violence, without necessity, and/or contrary to civilized norms. It carries an Arena rating of 1630, earned across 12 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, massacre ranks #637 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #1,289 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words, #1,373 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words, #1,450 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words.
massacre is pronounced /ˈmæs.ə.kə(ɹ)/.
Why “massacre” is a great word
Massacre is the indiscriminate and brutal slaughter of many people, especially those unable to resist. It entered English circa 1580 via Middle French *massacre*, from Old French *macacre*, *macecre* (“slaughterhouse, butchery”), a deverbal noun from *macecrer*, *macecler* (“to slaughter”). Its further origin is disputed, with possible roots in the Latin *macellum* (“butcher shop”) or the Vulgar Latin *matteuculāre*, from *matteuca* (“club”). Unlike a clinical “slaughter” or a contested “battle,” “massacre” denotes a profound asymmetry of power, the wanton crushing of the defenseless. It is the cold report of muskets upon a gathered village, the frantic scramble in a sun-baked square turned killing floor, the silent aftermath where only the flies move with purpose—a word that marks the moment when humanity devolves into butchery, and history is written by the survivors who must pronounce its dreadful name.
Etymology
1580, from Middle French massacre, from Old French macacre, marcacre, macecre, macecle (“slaughterhouse, butchery”), usually thought to be deverbal from Old French macecrer, macecler (“to slaughter”), though the noun seems to be attested somewhat earlier. It is also found in Medieval Latin mazacrium (“massacre, slaughter, killing”, also “the head of a newly killed stag”). Further origin disputed: * From Latin macellum (“butcher shop”). * From Vulgar Latin *matteuculāre, from *matteuca (cf. massue), from Late Latin mattea, mattia, from Latin mateola. * From Middle Low German *matskelen (“to massacre”) (compare German metzeln (“massacre”)), frequentative of matsken, matzgen (“to cut, hew”), from Proto-West Germanic *maitan, from Proto-Germanic *maitaną (“to cut”), from Proto-Indo-European *m
noun
- The killing of a considerable number (usually limited to people) where little or no resistance can be made, with indiscriminate violence, without necessity, and/or contrary to civilized norms.e.g.“St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre”
- Murder.e.g.“The tyrannous and bloody act is done,—
The most arch deed of piteous massacre
That ever yet this land was guilty of.” — c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[
- Any overwhelming defeat, as in a game or sport.
verb
- To kill in considerable numbers where little or no resistance can be made, with indiscriminate violence, without necessity, and contrary to civilized norms. (Often limited to the killing of human beings.)e.g.“If James should be pleased to massacre them all, as Maximilian had massacred the Theban legion” — 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:
- To win against (an opponent) very decisively.
- To perform (a work, such as a musical piece or a play) very poorly.
- To kill with great force or brutality.e.g.“Look how they massacred my boy.” — 1972, The Godfather (film)
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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