savage

¹

[sav-ij]

adjective

1. fierce, ferocious, or cruel; untamed.

   savage beasts.

   Synonyms: bloodthirsty, fell, feral, wild
   Antonyms: mild

2. Offensive.,  relating to or being a preliterate people or society regarded as uncivilized or primitive.

3. enraged or furiously angry, as a person.

4. unpolished; rude.

   savage manners.

   Antonyms: cultured

5. wild or rugged, as country or scenery.

   savage wilderness.

   Synonyms: uncultivated, rough
   Antonyms: cultivated

6. Archaic.,  uncultivated; growing wild.

noun

1. a fierce, brutal, or cruel person.

2. a rude, boorish person.

   Synonyms: oaf, churl

3. Disparaging and Offensive.,  a member of a preliterate people or society regarded as uncivilized or primitive.

verb (used with object)

savaged, savaging 

1. to assault and maul by biting, rending, goring, etc.; tear at or mutilate.

   numerous sheep savaged by dogs.

2. to attack or criticize thoroughly or remorselessly; excoriate.

   a play savaged by the critics.

3. to greatly weaken, damage, or harm.

   The age of automation and globalization, with companies searching for lower wages overseas, has savaged organized labor.

Savage

²

[sav-ij]

noun

1. Michael Joseph, 1872–1940, New Zealand statesman and labor leader: prime minister 1935–40.

2. Richard, 1697?–1743, English poet.

savage

¹

/ ˈsævɪdʒ /

adjective

1. wild; untamed

   savage beasts of the jungle

2. ferocious in temper; vicious

   a savage dog

3. uncivilized; crude

   savage behaviour

4. (of peoples) nonliterate or primitive

   a savage tribe

5. (of terrain) rugged and uncultivated

6. obsolete,  far from human habitation

noun

1. a member of a nonliterate society, esp one regarded as primitive

2. a crude or uncivilized person

3. a fierce or vicious person or animal

verb

1. to criticize violently

2. to attack ferociously and wound

   the dog savaged the child

Savage

²

/ ˈsævɪdʒ /

noun

1. Michael Joseph. 1872-1940, New Zealand statesman; prime minister of New Zealand (1935-40)

Other Word Forms

• savagely adverb
• savageness noun
• half-savage adjective
• half-savagely adverb
• presavage adjective
• quasi-savage adjective
• quasi-savagely adverb
• semisavage adjective
• unsavage adjective
• unsavagely adverb
• unsavageness noun
• savagedom noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of savage¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English adjective savage, saveage, sauvage, salvage, from Old French sauvage, salvage, savage, Anglo-French sawage, from Medieval Latin salvāticus, for Latin silvāticus, equivalent to silv(a) “woods” + -āticus adjective suffix; noun derivative of the adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of savage¹

C13: from Old French sauvage, from Latin silvāticus belonging to a wood, from silva a wood

Synonym Study

See cruel.

Example Sentences

Drake Maye's MVP claims won't go away, and he certainly deserves point for bravery after taking some savage hits in Tampa Bay but hanging in there to steer his side to victory.

Read more on BBC

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has condemned the Israeli strikes, as has Iran, which on Friday called them "savage" attacks and appealed for the international community to intervene.

Read more on Barron's

Kim Kardashian has poked fun at critics who savaged her new legal TV drama by posting screen shots of fans deciding to tune in after seeing the terrible reviews.

Read more on BBC

“This savage people,” reasoned Winthrop, had developed neither their land nor themselves.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Landau was aware of what constituted crowd appeal, but is too good-natured to savage many of the people along the way who perhaps deserve savaging.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• atrocious 
• barbarous 
• bloody 
• brutal 
• cold-blooded 
• destructive 
• ferocious 
• fierce 
• harsh 
• inhuman 
• inhumane 
• merciless 
• murderous 
• relentless 
• ruthless 
• sadistic 
• unrelenting 
• violent