savage

¹

[ sav-ij ]

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.

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)

, sav·aged, sav·ag·ing.

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

[ sav-ij ]

noun

1. Michael Joseph, 1872–1940, New Zealand statesman and labor leader: prime minister 1935–40.
2. Richard, 1697?–1743, English poet.

savage

¹

/ 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

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

/ ˈsævɪdʒ /

noun

1. SavageMichael Joseph18721940MNew ZealandPOLITICS: statesmanPOLITICS: prime minister Michael Joseph. 1872-1940, New Zealand statesman; prime minister of New Zealand (1935-40)

Derived Forms

• ˈsavageness, noun
• ˈsavagedom, noun
• ˈsavagely, adverb

Other Words From

• sav·age·ly adverb
• sav·age·ness noun
• half-sav·age adjective
• half-sav·age·ly adverb
• pre·sav·age adjective
• qua·si-sav·age adjective
• qua·si-sav·age·ly adverb
• sem·i·sav·age adjective
• un·sav·age adjective
• un·sav·age·ly adverb
• un·sav·age·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of savage¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of savage¹

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

Synonym Study

See cruel.

Example Sentences

The coroner passed on her condolences to Mrs Savage's family.

From BBC

Mother-of-two Janet Lynne Savage from Bangor in Gwynedd suffered damage to one of her main arteries during the procedure, going into cardiac arrest.

From BBC

The inquest was told Mrs Savage had contacted a health travel firm called Regenesis Health Travel at the start of July 2023, and within 24 hours had signed up for surgery a month later in Turkey.

From BBC

According to the NHS, the index measures what is a healthy weight for your height, and would have put Mrs Savage at the very start of the obese range, which runs from 30 to 30.9.

From BBC

The coroner said she ordered a post-mortem examination when the body of Mrs Savage was repatriated to Wales, which was carried out at Glan Clwyd Hospital.

From BBC

Related Words

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