massacre

USAGE SUMMARY

'massacre' is a correct and usable word in written English.
You can use it to refer to an act of killing a large number of people or animals. For example: The troops committed a massacre in the small town, leaving dozens dead.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"It was a massacre".

The New York Times

This was not just a reference to the second world war, but also to the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris in January; his speech was meant as a salutary call to arms against future conflict in French society.

The Guardian

Ndiaga Seck, associate information officer with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in the North Kivu provincial capital of Goma, said LRA attacks have decreased since December's massacre in Makombo, but people were still living with host families, unwilling to return home.

The Guardian

Following the massacre by the Pakistani Taliban of 141 people at a school in Peshawar this week, Pakistan's prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, vowed his country would "continue the war against terrorism until the last terrorist is eliminated".

The Guardian

But reports of the massacre were coming through and as the world's media focused its attention on Paris, some questioned why events in Nigeria were almost ignored.

The Guardian

Amnesty International described as the terror group's "deadliest massacre" to date, and local defence groups said they had given up counting the bodies left lying on the streets.

The Guardian

He was arrested in 2014 in the runup to the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, after attending a seminar about the crackdown with journalists, lawyers, scholars and activists.

The Guardian

"If people have just seen a TV report on a massacre in Palestine, it's not easy to convince them.

The Guardian

He warned of a looming massacre in Kobani and the possibility of Baghdad airport – thought not the city itself – falling to Isis.

The Guardian

The man who was chief minister of the state of Gujarat at the time of a massacre of Muslims that saw between 1,000 and 2,000 men, women and children murdered.

The Guardian - Opinion

But after the council won a possession order against them they moved around the corner to St Peter's Square, a historic protest site near to where the Peterloo massacre took place in 1819.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider the emotional impact of the word "massacre", especially in sensitive contexts. If your goal is to inform rather than inflame, assess if a less emotionally charged term like "killing" or "incident" is appropriate to maintain neutrality.

Common error

Avoid using the word "massacre" to describe events where the scale of violence or the defenselessness of the victims is not significant. This can lead to hyperbole and diminish the impact of the word when it is used to describe true atrocities.

Linguistic Context

The word "massacre" primarily functions as a noun to denote an event involving the indiscriminate and brutal slaughter of a significant number of people, especially defenseless ones. It can also function as a verb, meaning to kill a large number of people indiscriminately. As Ludwig AI confirms, the word is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The term "massacre" is a powerful word used to describe the indiscriminate killing of a large number of people, particularly when they are defenseless. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, the word is grammatically correct and very common, especially in news and media contexts. While it can function as both a noun and a verb, it primarily serves to report or describe events involving extreme violence, often with the intention of informing, evoking emotion, or assigning blame. When using "massacre", it is essential to ensure that the context accurately reflects the extreme nature of the event and the defenselessness of the victims. Related terms like "carnage" and "slaughter" can be used as alternatives depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

carnage

Emphasizes the bloody and brutal aftermath of a massacre.

slaughter

Highlights the brutal killing of many people.

butchery

Suggests a particularly savage and cruel form of killing.

decimation

Focuses on the large-scale destruction and reduction of a population.

mass murder

Specifically refers to the unlawful killing of multiple people.

wholesale slaughter

Emphasizes the indiscriminate and widespread nature of the killing.

systematic extermination

Highlights a planned and organized effort to eliminate a group.

ethnic cleansing

Refers to the forced removal or killing of an ethnic group.

atrocity

Highlights the extreme cruelty and wickedness of the act.

bloodbath

Emphasizes the intense violence and widespread bloodshed.

FAQs

How can "massacre" be used in a sentence?

The term "massacre" can be used to describe the killing of a large number of people. For example, "The Srebrenica "massacre" is considered one of the worst atrocities in European history".

What words can I use instead of "massacre"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "carnage", "slaughter", or "atrocity". The best choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to use "massacre" to describe any large killing event?

While "massacre" implies a large number of deaths, it specifically refers to the killing of defenseless or unresisting individuals. Using it for events where both sides are armed and engaged in combat may be inaccurate.

What distinguishes a "massacre" from a "battle"?

A "massacre" involves the killing of defenseless or unresisting individuals, while a "battle" is a conflict between armed forces. The key difference lies in the capacity of the victims to defend themselves. A "bloodbath" could happen in a battle but a "massacre" implies unilateral violence.