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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to attack
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
book reviewers mercilessly savaged his latest novel
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of savage
Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Texas is gearing up for war as a savage, flesh-eating fly appears poised for a US invasion and is expanding its range of victims.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 8 Aug. 2025
NPR, 6 Nov. 2025
The warm, relatable territory where the first season ends up doesn’t fully square with the savage satire promised by the pilot.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2025
Robin Abcarian, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025
My grandfather used to use a wooden walking stick and beat back the nettles—just savage them.
—Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for savage
Noun
The 'Kill Tony' host, Hinchcliffe, famously appeared at last year's massive Netflix roast for Tom Brady and generated buzz for his savage lines aimed at the NFL legend.
—Adjective
The Edmund Fitzgerald was caught in a savage storm with hurricane-force winds around 100-mile-an-hour and waves up to 60 feet, crashing down on the freighter every four to eight seconds, says Bacon.
—Verb
In the book, Giuffre alleges that the pair trafficked her to many powerful men, including a prince and a former prime minister who savaged her.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for savage
Noun
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For much of his career, Skarsgård has gravitated toward characters who weaponize physical presence — Vikings, tech titans and mythic brutes whose power is immediately legible.—
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As usual, Lang plays the brute’s Heart of Darkness–esque descent into madness with gleeful relish.—
Noun
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Per this year’s edition of AIR MAIL’s annual Over-Under List, caviar bumps—where barbarians (TikTokers) lick precious fish eggs off the back of their hands like table salt before a gag-inducing tequila shot—are out!—
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We were inspired by their outrageous VHS cover art that promised epic tales of heroic barbarians rescuing buxom babes from giant monsters.—
Adjective
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People at work have made rude comments pertaining to my hearing.—
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Though Jackson acknowledged that those time crunches can be stressful, being rude isn't the way to go.—
Adjective
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Between wading or boating into choppy surf, baking in the hot sun, and getting doused in salty spray, the elements are brutal on the human body and the gear meant to withstand them.—
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Phạm Lockwood also spoke with Huan Nguyen, the sole survivor of a massacre of a South Vietnamese family in Saigon, a brutal attack allegedly orchestrated by Capt.—
Adjective
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In Lynne Ramsey's psychological thriller, Jennifer Lawrence is fantastic and feral as a young woman who moves into a country house with her partner (Robert Pattinson).—
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They are pinched into a bright, almost surgical nasality or burst loose into grand, sideways arcs, flaring out in a feral yelp.—
Adjective
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Protecting Rodgers against the Texans’ ferocious pass rush represents a tall task, though.—
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Aside from being a general nuisance with their ferocious snores, pungent odors and growls, bears can do serious damage to a home.—
Verb
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Kyiv — Russia attacked Ukraine with a hypersonic Oreshnik missile overnight Thursday, a rare use of one of its most advanced weapons during the latest onslaught targeting the country amid freezing temperatures.—
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Russia attacked Ukraine overnight with 242 drones and 36 missiles, the Ukrainian Air Force said Friday morning.—
Noun
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Sorkin finds no heroes but also no villains.—
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But what Ole Miss has had to deal with is beyond the norm, with Kiffin in the villain’s role.—
Cite this Entry
“Savage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/savage. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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