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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in feral
living outdoors without taming or domestication by humans
savage beasts that seemed threatening to the tourists
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to attack
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
book reviewers mercilessly savaged his latest novel
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Weike Wang, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
Critics, especially the international lot, can be savage on movies that don’t meet their high standard.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 16 May 2026
Afdhel Aziz, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
The perpetrators of these crimes are savage animals without a shred of humanity.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 14 May 2026
Helen Branswell, STAT, 30 Mar. 2026
We’ve been dealt a nigh-unbearable hand when two of our communities were utterly savaged by fire.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for savage
Noun
Yet the car was also a burden, with high monthly interest payments, which put savage masculinity at odds with paternal liability.
—Weike Wang, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
Critics, especially the international lot, can be savage on movies that don’t meet their high standard.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 16 May 2026
Adjective
Take George Mullins — 18 years old at the battle of Carentan, one of the most savage engagements of the war, where his company lost 43 of its 45 men in three days of fighting.
—Afdhel Aziz, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
The perpetrators of these crimes are savage animals without a shred of humanity.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 14 May 2026
Verb
Chronic disease programs, in particular, have been savaged, whether those programs have been focused on oral health or tobacco control, to name a few.
—Helen Branswell, STAT, 30 Mar. 2026
We’ve been dealt a nigh-unbearable hand when two of our communities were utterly savaged by fire.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for savage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for savage
Noun
-
Shinnecock was still a brute of a test, but the red numbers on the white scoreboard were an unfamiliar site for this course.—
Doug Ferguson,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
These brutes commonly exceed 50 pounds.—
Keith Sutton,
Outdoor Life,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
There are barbarians with battle axes and swords, robots with laser guns, spaceships, a warlock with a skull for a face.—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
4 June 2026
-
While the original action figure might at first glance look like a classic cartoon barbarian, the character and his world are a wild blend of science fiction, fantasy, action-adventure, and even comedy.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
It’s widely considered rude and annoying when people cluster by the train doors if there are more people on the platform attempting to get on.—
Claudia Fisher,
Travel + Leisure,
15 June 2026
-
Many of these terms were meant as insults and were – and remain today – tremendously rude, but others reflect the bewilderment of trying to categorize people who don’t fit into standard categories easily.—
Ky Merkley,
The Conversation,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
His first strikeout was part of a brutal sequence.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
-
The injury is obviously a brutal blow to Canada's starting 11.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
Almost immediately, her half-feral dragon attacks Moondancer.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
22 June 2026
-
Warrior Cats is based on Erin Hunter’s feline book series that follows the adventures and drama of multiple clans of feral cats.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
So playing characters who were so ferocious and bold and confident and determined and all that helped me profoundly in my personal life.—
Brande Victorian,
HollywoodReporter,
18 June 2026
-
Your ferocious work ethic and absolutely unshakable moral fiber.—
Scott Bauer,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Vance, asked by a reporter about the criticism from the Israeli government, singled out Israeli Cabinet officials who have attacked the deal, saying Netanyahu has not shared the same opposition in the vice president's conversations with him.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
-
After the good Samaritan got him off the woman, witnesses say the man wandered to produce and began attacking a 16-year-old boy, but Garbe had followed him.—
Joy Benedict,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Her bone-chilling performance earned her the MTV Movie Award for best villain, beating out the likes of Daniel Day-Lewis, Mike Myers, Willem Dafoe and Colin Farrell in her category.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
-
This was my villain origin story.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Savage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/savage. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
