savage

¹ American  

[sav-ij] / ˈsæv ɪdʒ /

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.

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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 American  

[sav-ij] / ˈsæv ɪdʒ /

noun

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

2. Richard, 1697?–1743, English poet.

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savage ¹ British  

/ 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

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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 British  

/ ˈsævɪdʒ /

noun

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

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Related Words

See cruel.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

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

Explanation

A polar bear in a zoo might look like an adorable giant stuffed animal, but if you met a hungry one in its native environment, it would seem more savage — wild and fierce — than cute. Describing an animal as savage means that it is true to its wild, ferocious nature, but if you describe a person or the actions of a person as savage, it means "cruel" or "brutal." A place can also be described as savage if it's untamed, uninhabitable, and unwelcoming. When savage takes the form of a noun, it means "a brutal person," and when it's a verb it means "to attack ferociously." Any way you use it, savage is uncivilized and violent.

Example Sentences

I knew the rough distances of the stages and the distance between aid stations, but we were out here for a primal, even savage experience, and sometimes the distances were off.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

In England the media coverage of refereeing is savage.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026

All would be lost, however, without Mays’ quicksilver brilliance — the way he can shift from savage irony to vindictive rage to godless despair in the space of a line.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026

Fears that artificial intelligence products will butcher the business models of software-as-a-service companies has caused savage selling in their stocks.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 13, 2026

The person before me is not a savage, but a woman.

From "Beast Rider" by Tony Johnston & María Elena Fontanot de Rhoads

Related Words

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