savage

[ sav-ij ]

/ ˈsæv ɪdʒ /

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See synonyms for savage on Thesaurus.com

adjective

fierce, ferocious, or cruel; untamed: savage beasts.

Offensive. (in historical use) relating to or being a preliterate people or society regarded as uncivilized or primitive.

enraged or furiously angry, as a person.

unpolished; rude: savage manners.

wild or rugged, as country or scenery: savage wilderness.

Archaic. uncultivated; growing wild.

noun

a fierce, brutal, or cruel person.

a rude, boorish person.

Offensive. (in historical use) a member of a preliterate people or society regarded as uncivilized or primitive.

verb (used with object), sav·aged, sav·ag·ing.

to assault and maul by biting, rending, goring, etc.; tear at or mutilate: numerous sheep savaged by dogs.

to attack or criticize thoroughly or remorselessly; excoriate: a play savaged by the critics.

to greatly weaken, damage, or harm: The age of automation and globalization, with companies searching for lower wages overseas, has savaged organized labor.

OTHER WORDS FOR savage

1 wild, feral, fell; bloodthirsty.

2 wild.

3 infuriated.

5 rough, uncultivated.

8 churl, oaf.

See synonyms for savage on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR savage

1 mild.

4 cultured.

5 cultivated.

See antonyms for savage on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of savage

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

synonym study for savage

1. See cruel.

historical usage of savage

English savage is also spelled saveage, sauvage, salvage in Middle English. Middle English also has the spellings Sawage and Suvage for surnames. The Middle English forms come from Old French sauvage, salvage, savage and Anglo-French sawage. The Old French and Anglo-French forms come from Medieval Latin salvāticus, a modification of Latin silvāticus “pertaining to forests or scrubland,” a derivative of the noun silva “woodlands, forest.”
The (now offensive) noun sense “a member of a preliterate people regarded as uncivilized” dates from the second half of the 16th century. The senses “cruel, brutal person” and “rude, uncouth person” both date from the early 17th century.

OTHER WORDS FROM savage

sav·age·ly, adverbsav·age·ness, nounhalf-sav·age, adjectivehalf-sav·age·ly, adverb

pre·sav·age, adjectivequa·si-sav·age, adjectivequa·si-sav·age·ly, adverbsem·i·sav·age, adjectiveun·sav·age, adjectiveun·sav·age·ly, adverbun·sav·age·ness, noun

Words nearby savage

sauve qui peut, Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, sav, Sava, savage, Savage Island, savagery, Savage's Station, savagism, Savaii

Other definitions for savage (2 of 2)

Savage

[ sav-ij ]

/ ˈsæv ɪdʒ /

noun

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

Richard, 1697?–1743, English poet.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use savage in a sentence

There's a whole community out there rushing to find documents, disks, and hard drives from the '80s and '90s before they're savaged by time and bit rot.
“Deleted” Nintendo floppy recovered 26 years later, full of Earthbound secrets|Sam Machkovech|June 4, 2021|Ars Technica
A great country cannot allow people to come in and savage it, have no consequences, and then wait for the next attack.
As Colonial Pipeline recovers from cyberattack, leaders point to a ‘wake-up call’ for U.S. energy infrastructure|Aaron Gregg, Sean Sullivan, Stephanie Hunt|May 13, 2021|Washington Post
I asked Savage to listen to “Sho Z-Pod Dupa” by DakhaBrakha to see where it fell on his universal scale.
What Makes Music Universal - Issue 99: Universality|Kevin Berger|April 29, 2021|Nautilus
On this level, Mankiewicz’s film is a masterwork of subversion, a precursor to films that savaged the American love affair with normalcy—“The Graduate,” “Blue Velvet,” “American Beauty,” and “Fight Club” among them.
‘All About Eve’ at 70|Tom Joudrey|September 25, 2020|Washington Blade

Stephanopoulos is a TV newsman, and Savage is a sex columnist.
Politics Report: A Poll and a Court Ruling in Key Council Race|Scott Lewis|August 22, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Bolstered by the momentum of Savage, Masters continued to accumulate up-and-coming conservative talent.
The Godfather of Right-Wing Radio|Caitlin Dickson|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After two years, the dispute ended with an arbitration ruling in favor of Savage.
The Godfather of Right-Wing Radio|Caitlin Dickson|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In a 2009 profile of the right-wing firebrand, The New Yorker called Savage “a heretic among heretics.”
The Godfather of Right-Wing Radio|Caitlin Dickson|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the midst of the Michael Savage drama, the Talk Radio Network empire entered into another major lawsuit.
The Godfather of Right-Wing Radio|Caitlin Dickson|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Savage noted that “HIV/AIDS forced us to start talking about what people are doing in bed.”
The ‘Back Door’ Is Having Its Pop Culture Moment|Gabriella Paiella|September 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Under so many savage blows, the labouring mountains brought forth Turks.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
It makes out of the savage raw material which is our basal mental stuff, a citizen.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
Yet a child coming under the humanising influences of culture soon gets far away from the level of the savage.
Children's Ways|James Sully
A primitive savage makes a bow and arrow in a day: it takes him a fortnight to make a bark canoe.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
Savage troopers urged their horses into the water and slashed cowering women with their sabers.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy

British Dictionary definitions for savage (1 of 2)

savage

/ (ˈsævɪdʒ) /

adjective

wild; untamedsavage beasts of the jungle

ferocious in temper; viciousa savage dog

uncivilized; crudesavage behaviour

(of peoples) nonliterate or primitivea savage tribe

(of terrain) rugged and uncultivated

obsolete far from human habitation

noun

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

a crude or uncivilized person

a fierce or vicious person or animal

verb (tr)

to criticize violently

to attack ferociously and woundthe dog savaged the child

Derived forms of savage

savagedom, nounsavagely, adverbsavageness, noun

Word Origin for savage

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

British Dictionary definitions for savage (2 of 2)

Savage

/ (ˈsævɪdʒ) /

noun

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

savage

OTHER WORDS FOR savage

OPPOSITES FOR savage

Origin of savage

synonym study for savage

historical usage of savage

OTHER WORDS FROM savage

Words nearby savage

Other definitions for savage (2 of 2)

Words related to savage

How to use savage in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for savage (1 of 2)

Derived forms of savage

Word Origin for savage

British Dictionary definitions for savage (2 of 2)