savagery
Americannoun
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an uncivilized or barbaric state or condition; barbarity.
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savage action, nature, disposition, or behavior.
noun
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an uncivilized condition
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a savage act or nature
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savages collectively
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of savagery
Explanation
Savagery is fierce or brutal violence. The savagery of boxing is just too much for me — I prefer sports like rowing and badminton. When you think of savagery, extreme physical violence probably comes to mind. The savagery of war, brutal crackdowns by totalitarian governments, and vicious attacks are all good examples. There's also a figurative kind of savagery: "The restaurant critic's savagery felt like a personal attack on the chef." Savagery has a Latin source meaning "wild" or "of the woods," from a root that means "forest."
Vocabulary lists containing savagery
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.
Few if any of even Kim Jong-un’s looniest tirades match these posts for their wild-eyed savagery.
From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026
Septimius Severus was capable by turns of savagery, cunning, wit and generosity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
His shrieking reactions to his wife’s savagery throw into relief his good nature and her perversity.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026
This enabled us to film pictures which sufficiently put across the savagery of the storm, without taking a major safety risk.
From BBC • Jan. 24, 2025
For while our noses and lungs feasted on nature’s goodness, our eyes were assaulted by evidence of her savagery.
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
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.
