salvage
Americannoun
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the act of saving a ship or its cargo from perils of the seas.
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the property so saved.
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compensation given to those who voluntarily save a ship or its cargo.
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the act of saving anything from fire, danger, etc.
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the property so saved.
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the value or proceeds upon sale of goods recovered from a shipwreck, fire, etc.
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the act of saving something of use or value from destruction, damage, ruin, loss, or waste.
The salvage of carcass parts for pharmaceutical or research use is permitted if it does not interfere with sanitary operations.
verb (used with object)
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to save or rescue (property) from shipwreck, fire, or other peril.
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to save from destruction, damage, ruin, or loss.
A new achievement was the only way to salvage his reputation.
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to preserve (a useful or valuable part) from something otherwise wasted, discarded, or deemed a failure: I tried to salvage the unburnt part of the cornbread.
We purchase end-of-life vehicles and salvage scrap metal.
I tried to salvage the unburnt part of the cornbread.
The team has a chance to salvage some degree of glory from a dismal season.
noun
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the act, process, or business of rescuing vessels or their cargoes from loss at sea
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the act of saving any goods or property in danger of damage or destruction
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( as modifier )
a salvage operation
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the goods or property so saved
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compensation paid for the salvage of a vessel or its cargo
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the proceeds from the sale of salvaged goods or property
verb
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to save or rescue (goods or property) from fire, shipwreck, etc
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to gain (something beneficial) from a failure
she salvaged little from the broken marriage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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salvagesimple
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salvagessimple
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have salvagedperfect
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has salvagedperfect
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am salvagingprogressive
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are salvagingprogressive
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is salvagingprogressive
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have been salvagingperfect progressive
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has been salvagingperfect progressive
Past
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salvagedsimple
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had salvagedperfect
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was salvagingprogressive
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were salvagingprogressive
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had been salvagingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of salvage
First recorded in 1635–45; from Old French; see origin at save 1, -age
Explanation
To salvage something is to save it...before it's too late. You might try to salvage your damaged reputation by defending yourself, or salvage a burnt piece of toast by scraping off the black residue. As a noun salvage is the act of rescuing stuff from a disaster like a shipwreck or fire — or the rescued goods themselves. As a verb, salvage means to collect or rescue that sort of item, or more generally to save something from harm or ruin. If you want to salvage your grade, you need to stop gaming so much and start studying more.
Vocabulary lists containing salvage
Esperanza Rising
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This Week in Words: September 29 - October 5, 2018
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The Cay
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Why would we choose the $2,000 settlement if the salvage offer is only $400?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
As rescue teams wind down efforts to salvage survivors from the rubble, and as residents leave the city -- due to dire economic prospects, trauma or both -- the streets appear more deserted than ever.
From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026
But the young American could not salvage the next one, planting a low forehand into the net after an extraordinary two hours and 35 minutes.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
The last-place Mets fired manager Carlos Mendoza on Friday in a desperate attempt to salvage what remains of a campaign that began with championship aspirations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
The Careers aren't likely to salvage anything out of that.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
“Destitute of all comfort and company,” he salvages what he can from the wreckage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 9, 2026
He also salvages fallen street trees or storm-damaged wood.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2025
His celebrated merchant posters, made from local advertisements that he salvages from his neighborhood and then effaces so that multiple layers surface simultaneously, tell a history of predation via something as commonplace as payday-loan advertisements.
From New York Times ● Apr. 19, 2023
Baltimore’s Recreation and Parks Department salvages wood from city trees and redirects it to Camp Small, a city-run processing facility, where it’s used in city construction or sold to residents.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 3, 2022
He salvages the inferior Soviet equipment, milled from marginal steel, clumsily soldered; it’s all so unsystematic.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
At the time, campaigns were a sideline for Reilly, who supported himself selling doodads and other salvaged wares in a movable flea market he operated on Fisherman’s Wharf.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
A Games which he has backed vocally since Glasgow salvaged it from the wreckage of Victoria's aborted bid.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Residents had laid out mattresses, washing machines, wooden furniture, and other salvaged household items.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
They salvaged precious few things: a clay figurine Missi and Frank had purchased on their honeymoon in Peru.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026
I sat there eating the piece of brown toast while she went into the bathroom and flushed the handful of egg, which could not be salvaged, down the toilet.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was set to address European leaders on Saturday as they try to step up their autonomy in defence while salvaging transatlantic ties badly strained under President Donald Trump.
From Barron's ● Feb. 14, 2026
"Their aim has to be salvaging the season by qualifying for the Champions League with a top-four or perhaps top-five finish - but that's a big drop-off from what we saw last season," added Shearer.
From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2026
Mark Joseph Stern: I think anyone who cares about salvaging American democracy needs to be asking those exact questions.
From Slate ● Dec. 26, 2025
Prada strikes a $1.4 billion deal to acquire Versace from fashion conglomerate Capri Holdings, salvaging a deal that was at risk of collapsing because of the market turmoil.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 18, 2025
Gasa and Kumana decided to take a look at the wreck, see if there was anything worth salvaging.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
