Meaning & use
barb
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Meanings
nouncountable
A sharp point that sticks out backward from a hook, arrow or wire, making it hard to pull free.
Grammar: Countable; often used for the barbs on fishing hooks or fences.
Patterns
- the barb of a hook
- barbs on wire
The fisherman filed down the barb on his hook.
A barb on the fence tore my sleeve.
The arrow's barb stuck in the target.
nouncountablefigurative
A hurtful or sharply critical remark, often cleverly worded.
Grammar: Usually a short comment aimed at someone: she traded barbs with him.
Patterns
- a barb at someone
- trade barbs
She aimed a barb at his cooking.
The two politicians traded barbs all evening.
He ignored the barb and kept smiling.
nouncountablebiologytechnical
One of the thin branches that make up the vane of a bird's feather.
Grammar: Technical sense used in biology.
Patterns
- barbs of a feather
Each barb of the feather hooks onto its neighbor.
Under the microscope, we saw the tiny barbs.
Preening zips the barbs back together.
Word forms
| plural | barbs |
|---|
Common combinations
- barbed wire
- A fence of barbed wire surrounded the field.
- trade barbs
- The candidates traded barbs in the debate.
- a pointed barb
- She delivered a pointed barb about his lateness.
- fling a barb
- He flung a barb at his rival.
- a barb of criticism
- The review contained a barb of criticism.
Synonyms and how they differ
- jibe
- A jibe is a mocking remark, while a barb is sharper and aims to hurt.
- dig
- A dig is an informal, often brief teasing remark, less cutting than a barb.
- spike
- Spike is a general sharp point, without the backward-curving idea of a barb.
Opposites
Word family
- barbed adjective
- having sharp points, or hurtful in tone
- barbs noun
- plural of barb
Commonly confused: barb or Barb?
barb vs Barb
Barb with a capital letter is a short form of the name Barbara and is not a common noun.
Practice
During the meeting, Dan made a ___ about her habit of arriving late.
Choose one answer.
A barb is a sharp, hurtful remark. Bark and base are real words but do not mean a remark about someone.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “barb”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.