How do you use the word "massacre" in a sentence?

Q: How do you use the word "massacre" in a sentence?

Here are real-life examples of using "massacre": The general ordered the massacre of all war prisoners. Tom wasn't the only survivor of the massacre.

Massacre Meaning

/ˈmæs.ə.kə(ɹ)/

Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

Definition

nounThe 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.

nounMurder.

Sentence Examples

The general ordered the massacre of all war prisoners.

Tom wasn't the only survivor of the massacre.

The bloody massacre of innocent civilians

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms:

carnage slaughter

Antonyms:

None

CEFR Practice Quiz

The brutal invasion of the town resulted in a terrible ____ of innocent civilians.

CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)

The history book describes a brutal ____ that occurred during the final days of the war.

Word Origin & History

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 *mei- (“small”). Akin to Old High German meizan (“to cut”) among others. * Note also Arabic مَجْزَرَة (majzara), originally “spot where animals are slaughtered”, now also “massacre”, and in Maghrebi Arabic “slaughterhouse”. Derived from جَزَرَ (jazara, “to cut, slaughter”).

Literary Quotations & Historical Citations

"I'll find a day to massacre them all, And raze their faction and their family" — c. 1588–1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene v]:

"The massacre that ripped apart 17 families in Parkland, Florida, five years ago on Valentine’s Day ignited a wave of student-led protests and bipartisan legislation to combat the plague of school shootings devastating the country." — 2023 February 14, Holly Yan, “5 years after the Parkland school massacre claimed 17 lives, here’s what has changed (and what hasn’t)”, in CNN:

"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[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):

"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:

Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words