Massacres vs Massacre - What's the difference?
massacres | massacre |
The intentional killing of a considerable number of human beings, under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty, or contrary to the norms of civilized people.
(obsolete) Murder.
* 1593 , , The Tragedy of Richard the Third
(figuratively) An overwhelming defeat.
To kill in considerable numbers where much resistance can not be made; to kill with indiscriminate violence, without necessity, and contrary to the norms of civilized people; to butcher; to slaughter.
* 1849 , , The History Of England From the Accession of James II
(figuratively)
As nouns the difference between massacres and massacre
is that massacres is plural of massacre while massacre is the intentional killing of a considerable number of human beings, under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty, or contrary to the norms of civilized people.As a verb massacre is
to kill in considerable numbers where much resistance can not be made; to kill with indiscriminate violence, without necessity, and contrary to the norms of civilized people; to butcher; to slaughter. Often limited to the killing of human beings.massacre
English
Alternative forms
* massacer (archaic)Noun
(en noun)- the massacre on St. Bartholomew's Day
- St. Valentine's Day''' '''massacre
- Amritsar''' '''massacre
- The tyrannous and bloody act is done,—
- The most arch deed of piteous massacre
- That ever yet this land was guilty of.
Synonyms
* butchery, carnage, slaughter. *: Massacre denotes the promiscuous slaughter of many who can not make resistance, or much resistance. *:* 1592 , , Titus Andronicus, I,v *:*: I'll find a day to massacre them all, And raze their faction and their family *: Butchery refers to cold-blooded cruelty in the killing of men as if they were brute beasts. *:* 1593 , , Richard III, I,ii *:*: If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds, Behold this pattern of thy butcheries *: Carnage points to slaughter as producing the heaped-up bodies of the slain. *:* 1674 , , Paradise Lost *:*: Such a scent I draw Of carnage , prey innumerable!Verb
(massacr)- If James should be pleased to massacre' them all, as Maximilian had ' massacred the Theban legion