savagery
noun
-vi-jə-\
Definition of savagery
1a : the quality of being savage
b : an act of cruelty or violence
2 : an uncivilized state
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Synonyms & Antonyms for savagery
Synonyms
atrociousness, atrocity, barbarity, barbarousness, brutality, cruelness, cruelty, fiendishness, heartlessness, inhumanity, inhumanness, sadism, savageness, truculence, viciousness, wantonness
Antonyms
benignity, compassion, good-heartedness, humaneness, humanity, kindheartedness, kindness, sympathy, tenderheartedness
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Examples of savagery in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And yet there was an underlying imperialist savagery, seen in the bloody suppression of the Indian Mutiny of 1857, combined with cynicism. — Geoffrey Wheatcroft, New York Times, "A History of the British Empire at Its Peak," 30 Mar. 2018 An astonishing collection of laughs — whinnies, giggles, squeals, snorts, heaves — gradually colors the narrative, until this seemingly harmless man becomes, in effect, not just a witness to savagery, but also an accessory. — Jesse Green, New York Times, "Review: Surprise Lessons From John Lithgow’s ‘Stories by Heart’," 11 Jan. 2018 There was some clarity Thursday from Larry Peterson, the GBI crime scene analyst who was there in 1983 and recalled from his own notes the savagery of the crime. — Christian Boone, ajc, "Damaged evidence, shifty witnesses mark truck-dragging murder trial," 21 June 2018 Notorious for his misogyny, Mr Duterte excoriates female critics with particular savagery. — The Economist, "A new book explores the myths and reality of Rodrigo Duterte’s life," 21 June 2018 But in the post-equality era, the play stands as a compelling portrayal of internecine savagery bred by the stigma of isolation and oppression, by turns bitingly funny and moving. — David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Boys in the Band': Theater Review," 1 June 2018 When the dictators lost their grips, countries across the region imploded, loosing savagery and suffering that still burns on. — Dexter Filkins, New York Times, "Why Libya Continues to Burn," 18 May 2018 In America, dirt racing is very aggressive at the best of times but when the weather goes like that, the aggression turns into nearly savagery. — Tim Sullivan, The Courier-Journal, "Michigan coach's athlete payment plan to invest in stocks has its holes," 12 May 2018 In essence, the card has become a high-tech proxy for the unresolved conflicts that drove Afghanistan to civil war in the early 1990s, sweeping the extremist Taliban movement to power as the country deteriorated into interethnic savagery and chaos. — Washington Post, "New Afghan ID cards, aimed at unifying the country, are doing the opposite," 10 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'savagery.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for savagery
savagery
noun
English Language Learners Definition of savagery
: a cruel or violent quality : a savage quality
: a cruel or violent act or action
See the full definition for savagery in the English Language Learners Dictionary
savagery
noun
\
Kids Definition of savagery
1 : an uncivilized condition or character
2 : an act of cruelty or violence
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