1
as in brute
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
what kind of savage would hurt a baby?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in barbarian
an uncivilized person
inhabitants of exotic lands were invariably portrayed by early travel writers as savages
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in rude
not civilized
Tarzan is usually portrayed as a noble but savage warrior of the jungle
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2
as in brutal
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others
a savage attack on a helpless person
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3
as in feral
living outdoors without taming or domestication by humans
savage beasts that seemed threatening to the tourists
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4
as in ferocious
violently unfriendly or aggressive in disposition
early explorers avoided those areas that were rumored to be inhabited by savage natives
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as in to attack
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
book reviewers mercilessly savaged his latest novel
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of savage
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
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
John Wenzel, The Denver Post, 30 Jan. 2025
Musk has increasingly involved himself in U.K. politics over the past several weeks, savaging the ruling Labour government and shining a spotlight on the mostly-Pakistani rape gang scandal.
—Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 5 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for savage
Noun
But where Goya would turn savage over Spain’s fortunes, Murillo stayed light, even cutesy.
—Adjective
The abrupt end of a placidly unquestioned friendship unleashes a savage emotional battle.
—Verb
The show opened on Jan. 18 in Arkansas and this week played two shows at Detroit’s Fisher Theatre, where it was savaged by ostensible fans of the series, according to WXYZ Detroit, an ABC affiliate.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for savage
Noun
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By the end of the episode, the audience is eager to meet the antihero, the brute, that everyone is talking about.—
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Slinging a sports coat over his pajamas, Long pulls up to a curb and finds Tay (Dustin Nguyen), the Vietnamese speaker, plus two silent brutes, Eddie (Phi Vu) and Aden (Dali Benssalah), who muscle into his car and take over everything: the seating arrangements, the air freshener and their driver.—
Noun
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For the general The First Berserker: Khazan follows Khazan — a former barbarian who rose far enough to become a great general in the Pell Los Empire, earning the recognition of the nation’s emperor.—
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In a fable by Phaedrus, also written in the first century A.D., a barbarian is threatening the troops of the military leader, Pompey the Great.—
Adjective
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The incident sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some criticizing Wallen’s actions on the show as rude.—
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This, experts say, is a punctuation choice that can make messages appear uncertain or vague, which confuses recipients and sometimes comes off as passive aggressive and rude.—
Adjective
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Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway fared better than the S & P 500 in a brutal week as investors embraced the safety of a cash-rich conglomerate while President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariffs wreaked havoc on Wall Street.—
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The game's official website promises a variety of Prospectors to play as, with assets showing what looks like a brutal four-armed brawler and an insectoid-looking alien that can turn invisible.—
Adjective
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In America alone, there are currently between 60 and 100 million stray and feral cats, completely left to their fate.—
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South Florida Wildlands Association responded to a comment that the mystery animal could be a feral cat, expressing some of their doubts.—
Adjective
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And yet even the breeziest of Catullus’ occasional poems can suddenly betray flashes of ferocious emotion.—
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In terms of food security, the abundance of the blue catfish available could assist people in need, and on the flipside, rid the bay of a ferocious predator.—
Verb
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Aged 30, Makelele had been converted from an attacking midfielder to a deep-lying, anchoring midfielder that would protect his back line and hoover up any defensive actions that came anywhere near his orbit.—
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The foods the cell is accustomed to may be absent; immune cells or other novel environmental molecules may attack.—
Noun
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Whereas Serena could easily have emerged as a one-note villain, from the beginning of her tenure on the series, Strahovski has imbued Serena with a soulfulness that often puts the audience uncomfortably on her side, despite her reprehensible actions.—
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Even when a big threat does arrive on the scene, the heroes aren't there right away, so plenty of innocent people get hurt before a villain gets brought to justice.—
Cite this Entry
“Savage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/savage. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.
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