savage

1 of 3

adjective

sav·​age ˈsa-vij How to pronounce savage (audio)
1
a
: not domesticated or under human control : untamed
savage beasts
b
: lacking the restraints normal to civilized human beings : fierce, ferocious
a savage criminal
2
: wild, uncultivated
seldom have I seen such savage sceneryDouglas Carruthers
3
a
: boorish, rude
the savage bad manners of most motoristsM. P. O'Connor
b
4
old-fashioned + offensive : lacking complex or advanced culture : uncivilized
savagely adverb
savageness noun

savage

2 of 3

noun

plural savages
1
old-fashioned + offensive : a person belonging to a primitive society
2
: a brutal person
3
: a rude or unmannerly person

savage

3 of 3

verb

savaged; savaging

transitive verb

: to attack or treat brutally
Choose the Right Synonym for savage

fierce, ferocious, barbarous, savage, cruel mean showing fury or malignity in looks or actions.

fierce applies to humans and animals that inspire terror because of their wild and menacing aspect or fury in attack.

fierce warriors

ferocious implies extreme fierceness and unrestrained violence and brutality.

a ferocious dog

barbarous implies a ferocity or mercilessness regarded as unworthy of civilized people.

barbarous treatment of prisoners

savage implies the absence of inhibitions restraining civilized people filled with rage, lust, or other violent passion.

a savage criminal

cruel implies indifference to suffering and even positive pleasure in inflicting it.

the cruel jokes of schoolboys

Examples of savage in a Sentence

Adjective He was the victim of a savage attack. The coast was lashed by savage storms. He wrote savage satires about people he didn't like. Noun What kind of savage could have committed such a terrible crime? what kind of savage would hurt a baby? Verb He looked like he'd been savaged by a wild animal. A hurricane savaged the city. The newspapers savaged his reputation.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen. Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 27 Dec. 2022 The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people. Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2022 Not as savage as, say, a Rimac Nevera, but that comes with more than twice the power, four driven wheels, and a £2 million price tag. Alex Goy, WIRED, 19 Dec. 2022 Since the film’s premiere, protests in Iran have raged following the killing of Mahsa Amini, and have been met with savage violence from the state. Leo Barraclough, Variety, 11 Dec. 2022 The abrupt end of a placidly unquestioned friendship unleashes a savage emotional battle. Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 14 Dec. 2022 Prompted by a perfect storm of my mom’s terminal illness and my employer’s savage institutional sexism, the decision had shocked many but also made way for my writing dreams to come true. Sarah Smarsh, Harper’s Magazine , 26 Oct. 2022 This savage political satire gave us venal politicians, cynical aides, and crooked backroom dealings. Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Oct. 2022 This divergent energy shock translates into a material macroeconomic headwind in the U.S. but into a far more savage shock in Europe that hammers real incomes and spending power. Paul Swartz, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2022
Noun
Often regarded by historians as a collection of savage tribes, the Scythians emerge as a pivotal force of the ancient world in this monumental history. The New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2023 Nearly 32 years ago, Rodney King’s savage beating by police in Los Angeles prompted heartfelt calls for change. Aaron Morrison, Claudia Lauer and Adrian Sainz, Anchorage Daily News, 29 Jan. 2023 Portland leaders and others in the metro area and Oregon joined a nationwide chorus Friday to condemn the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols as Memphis police released a video of his savage attack by officers. The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, 27 Jan. 2023 Russia has escalated its assault in the area in recent days, unleashing savage fighting that has underscored the high cost of the battle. Isabelle Khurshudyan, Washington Post, 15 Jan. 2023 But where Goya would turn savage over Spain’s fortunes, Murillo stayed light, even cutesy. Walker Mimms, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2023 Along the way detailed signs provide information and locations of major incidents like the Bascom Affair and the Battle of Apache Pass, a savage fight between Cochise and 150 warriors and an advance guard of the California Column. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 13 Jan. 2023 Mohamed draws a savage contrast between Nour’s prosperous, secluded compound, fitted with magical amenities like an anti-drowning pool, and Aziza’s crummy neighborhood, where third-class wishes that backfire can leave people mutilated. Yasmine Alsayyad, The New Yorker, 9 Jan. 2023 McBain then appeared in the low-budget AIP films Thunder Alley (1967), directed by Richard Rush; Maryjane (1968); and, as the savage leader of a motorcycle gang, The Mini-Skirt Mob (1968). Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Dec. 2022
Verb
The Sony-Marvel film has been savaged by critics as one of the worst superhero movies of the modern era. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2024 That task has grown much more difficult as Mr. Trump, who has savaged the plan, has gained ground in his quest for the party’s presidential nomination. Karoun Demirjian, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2024 In a blunter mode, the romance novelist Jilly Cooper once named an incontinent goat for a reviewer who had savaged her work. Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2023 Consider Emily Blunt, a movie star who recently prostrated herself after being savaged online for fat-shaming. Brenda Cronin, WSJ, 29 Oct. 2023 Ride-hail platforms have savaged public transit and the taxi industry, but the need for drivers in cities without adequate transport options remains. Edward Ongweso Jr., WIRED, 10 Sep. 2023 Senior House Republicans who didn’t sign the original letter also savaged Garland’s move. John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023 Democrats would savage Republicans for their failure and balance would be restored. Kyle Whitmire | Kwhitmire@al.com, al, 1 Aug. 2023 Donald Trump's push to block a Georgia investigation was rejected by a judge, a witness claims that Joe Biden greeted Hunter Biden's associates and clients on the phone, and in Ukraine, Russia savages Zelenskyy's hometown. Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 1 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'savage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French salvage, savage, from Late Latin salvaticus, alteration of Latin silvaticus of the woods, wild, from silva wood, forest

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1880, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of savage was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near savage

Cite this Entry

“Savage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/savage. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

savage

1 of 2 adjective
sav·​age ˈsav-ij How to pronounce savage (audio)
1
: not tamed
savage beasts
2
: very cruel and unrestrained
a savage beating
3
: not cultivated : wild
the savage wilderness
4
: not civilized
savage customs
5
: very critical or harsh
savagely adverb
savageness noun

savage

2 of 2 noun
1
: a person belonging to a group with a low level of civilization
2
: a brutal person
Etymology

Adjective

Middle English savage "untamed, wild," from early French salvage, savage, (same meaning), from Latin salvaticus, an altered form of earlier silvaticus "of the woods, wild," from silva "woods, forest"

Word Origin
In Latin the adjective silvaticus, a derivative of silva, "forest," meant "growing or living in the forest." Because forest life is wild, the adjective easily acquired the meaning "wild, uncultivated" in later Latin as well as in the spoken Latin of the declining Roman Empire. Medieval French inherited silvaticus, altered to salvaticus, as salvage or sauvage, which was borrowed into Middle English. Medieval French sauvage retained the source meanings "wild, uncultivated (of fruit)" and "untamed (of animals)." But it could also be applied to humans, in which case its meanings could range from "lacking civilization, barbarous" to "fierce, cruel." English savage has had all these senses at some point in its history.

Biographical Definition

Savage

biographical name

Sav·​age ˈsa-vij How to pronounce Savage (audio)
Michael Joseph 1872–1940 prime minister of New Zealand (1935–40)

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