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savage

/ˈsævɪd͡ʒ/noun, verb, adjective2 syllables

Savage means: (of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering.

Synonyms for savage43

noun, as in a cruelly rapacious person

beast, wolf, brute, wildcat

noun, as in a member of an uncivilized people

barbarian

verb, as in criticize harshly or violently

blast, pillory, crucify

adjective, as in (of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering

barbarous, brutal, cruel, fell, roughshod, vicious, inhumane

adjective, as in without civilizing influences

barbarian, barbaric, uncivilized, uncivilised, wild, noncivilized, noncivilised

adjective, as in wild and menacing

feral, ferine, wild, untamed

adjective, as in marked by extreme and violent energy

ferocious, fierce, furious, violent

also used for savage

indomite, tameless, uplandish, untame, pagan, uncivil, crude, rough, rude, rabid, grim, incessive, infuriate, ruthless, sadistic

Includes material from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

What does savage mean?8

adjective

1

(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering“a barbarous crime”

2

without civilizing influences“barbarian invaders”

3

wild and menacing“a pack of feral dogs”

4

marked by extreme and violent energy“a ferocious beating”

noun

1

a cruelly rapacious person

2

a member of an uncivilized people

verb

1

criticize harshly or violently“The press savaged the new President”

2

attack brutally and fiercely

Definitions from the Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Savage in a sentence

  • The savage life is so simple, and our societies are such complex machinery!Scott
  • They call themselves civilized, but they're just as savage as those they call barbarians.mailohilohi
  • When morning broke, a scene of marvellous though savage beauty lay before them.Hybrid
  • In culture, they are on the same plane as savages.jmfcomo
  • A savage tribe lived there in those days.CM
  • There are still some savage tribes on that island.CM
  • The primitive man was frightened at the sight of a savage beast.unknown
  • The savage in man is never quite eradicated.unknown

Sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR, credited to their authors.

Forms of savage

as a noun

plural
savages

as a verb

past tense
savaged
present participle
savaging
third-person singular
savages
past participle
savaged