savage 1 of 3

noun

Definition of savagenext
1
as in brute
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person what kind of savage would hurt a baby?

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2
as in barbarian
an uncivilized person inhabitants of exotic lands were invariably portrayed by early travel writers as savages

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savage

2 of 3

adjective

ˈsa-vij How to pronounce savage (audio)
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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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

savage

3 of 3

verb

as in to attack
to criticize harshly and usually publicly book reviewers mercilessly savaged his latest novel

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word savage different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of savage are barbarous, cruel, ferocious, and fierce. While all these words mean "showing fury or malignity in looks or actions," savage implies the absence of inhibitions restraining civilized people filled with rage, lust, or other violent passion.

a savage criminal

Where would barbarous be a reasonable alternative to savage?

Although the words barbarous and savage have much in common, barbarous implies a ferocity or mercilessness regarded as unworthy of civilized people.

barbarous treatment of prisoners

When would cruel be a good substitute for savage?

The words cruel and savage can be used in similar contexts, but cruel implies indifference to suffering and even positive pleasure in inflicting it.

the cruel jokes of schoolboys

When can ferocious be used instead of savage?

While in some cases nearly identical to savage, ferocious implies extreme fierceness and unrestrained violence and brutality.

a ferocious dog

When might fierce be a better fit than savage?

The synonyms fierce and savage are sometimes interchangeable, but fierce applies to humans and animals that inspire terror because of their wild and menacing aspect or fury in attack.

fierce warriors

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of savage
Noun
Schoolchildren meet veterans from the savage fight in Ukraine. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 6 July 2026 Perhaps the most striking thing about this savage beatdown is its sweetly melodic backing track. — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026
Adjective
The Yellow Death has disfigured the population, and soldiers in white-and-red tunics serve the savage Duke of Tviot. — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026 Josefowicz, in her decathlon of a performance, brought Ligeti’s savage discontinuities to the surface. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Verb
The two sides publicly savaged each other, with dueling allegations of mishandling forensic evidence, among other things. — Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 30 June 2026 But the brutal attack on his girlfriend wasn’t the first time Smith had tried to stop the two pit-bull-and-Catahoua-leopard-mix dogs from savaging someone, according to an affidavit for an arrest warrant filed with the court. — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 14 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for savage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for savage
  1. brute
  2. barbarian
  3. rude
  4. brutal
  5. feral
  6. ferocious
  7. attack
  8. villain
Noun
  • Most sportsmen wonder how any whitetail bucks, let alone a brute such as Kontras’, could have been so easily patterned.
    — Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The show’s depiction of Hugh as a family man has been much more sympathetic than the book’s description of him as a power-hungry brute.
    — James Grebey, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of brute
Noun
  • The world drew heavily from the paintings of fantasy illustrator Frank Frazetta, who depicted scenes of barbarians and beasts in conflict, of pulp fiction heroes, femme fatales, and fierce warrior women.
    — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 29 June 2026
  • To an outsider, the scene may spark a certain Schadenfreude, like an army of tiny barbarians sacking Rome.
    — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of barbarian
Adjective
  • Totally ignoring the humanity of both worker and customer is rude, and yet both parties are interested in getting on with whatever the transaction is.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • When Hank and Peggy meet a new family who has moved into the neighborhood, the Laotian Souphanousinphones, Hank immediately dislikes the father, Kahn, who is abrasive, competitive, and often rude.
    — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of rude
Adjective
  • The Braves have Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy atop their catching depth chart, but a brutal injury setback involving veteran backstop Sandy Leon has now forced the organization to seek out another experienced option.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Micron, as well as South Korea's SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics — the world's three major DRAM producers — had competed largely on price, contributing to the brutal boom-and-bust cycles that have long characterized the industry.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of brutal
Adjective
  • In the 2018 Farm Bill, a major piece of legislation covering wide areas of agricultural policy, Congress agreed to spend $75 million to encourage private landowners to step up together to kill feral hogs.
    — Chris Boyer, Scientific American, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Susan Manning, president of Tri-County Wildlife Care, said feeding feral cats contributes to population growth.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of feral
Adjective
  • After surviving a ferocious first half to trail only 13-12, the All Blacks' resolve hardened by new coach Dave Rennie and age-old ability to produce something from nothing turned a tense contest into a rout by five tries to South Africa's one.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026
  • One track consists of her ferocious, transfixing, concept works, which plunge the gathered into the heart and soul of extreme historical and cultural experiences.
    — Matt Thompson, SPIN, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of ferocious
Verb
  • Somebody years ago should have realized NSA Bahrain could be attacked, its air defense might fail and it could be disabled in a long war.
    — John Seiler, Oc Register, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The meeting was not received well by many Democrats, who attacked Jeffries over it.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of attack
Noun
  • Furious drops the ball a bit in the interactions with Emma and Jay Easton, turning them into one-dimensional caricatures instead of complex villains, but honestly, this show isn’t really about them.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Saoirse Ronan is ready to step into the dark side and is doubling down on wanting to play a villain in the James Bond universe.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of villain

Browse Nearby Words

savable
savage
savaged
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Cite this Entry

“Savage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/savage. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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