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
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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
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
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
Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 19 Mar. 2025
Fire authorities issued evacuation warnings Tuesday for residents living in areas of Los Angeles County savaged by recent wildfires ahead of heavy rain and mudslides expected this week.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for savage
Noun
But where Goya would turn savage over Spain’s fortunes, Murillo stayed light, even cutesy.
—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
Adjective
The abrupt end of a placidly unquestioned friendship unleashes a savage emotional battle.
—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
Verb
Democrats savaged the proposal, warning electing justices would weaken judicial independence.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 19 Mar. 2025
Fire authorities issued evacuation warnings Tuesday for residents living in areas of Los Angeles County savaged by recent wildfires ahead of heavy rain and mudslides expected this week.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for savage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for savage
Noun
-
By the end of the episode, the audience is eager to meet the antihero, the brute, that everyone is talking about.—
Maelle Beauget-Uhl,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
-
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.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Scott himself was a bit like one of these barbarians, constantly attacking and unsettling a seemingly stable consensus on the value of state power, and of civilization itself.—
Nikil Saval,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
-
El Cid Published July 8, 1999 Like victorious barbarians in a war between the present and the past, bulldozers this week tore into the towers and walls of a Miami castle that once housed El Cid restaurant.—
Jeff Kleinman,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Be Courtesy To Other Shoppers To a Southerner, manners are top of mind, so pushing, shoving, and being rude over buying things doesn’t jive with a genteel way of life.—
Jennifer Prince,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2025
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The same employee, who Shea said was also rude to her, answered and told her the company was closed.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This high school student completed a brutal swim across New Zealand's 13.67-mile Cook Strait 02:16 CNN — Maya Merhige eventually stopped counting her jellyfish stings, such was the frequency with which they were getting scorched against her skin.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
30 Apr. 2025
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Domestic overcapacity and brutal internal competition have already pushed Chinese firms to expand abroad in search of profit margins.—
Zongyuan Zoe Liu,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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According to the outlets, the 250-pound deceased pet was then entered into a feral pig hunting competition, in which the two men won $1,000 cash.—
Lesley Cosme Torres,
People.com,
17 Apr. 2025
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So, to our minds, this has been a very long, slow build towards Shauna as everything the Antler Queen represents, which is the most feral, the most animalistic, the most excited by that power that comes with being the leader and being out in the wilderness.—
Michaela Zee,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This ferocious, steep-banked corner possesses a wild 24% gradient, a nod to Spain’s bullfighting heritage.—
Kanzah Maktoum,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
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But this team was special, with a watertight defence combined with a ferocious forward line of Ronaldo (his best goalscoring season for United), Rooney and Tevez.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
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According to a 2021 report by the Lowy Institute, almost one in five Chinese Australians reported being physically threatened or attacked in the previous year.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
29 Apr. 2025
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The account commonly attacks news publications and posts comments criticizing reporting about Hegseth and the Defense Department.—
Eleanor Watson,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Children meet superheroes and villains, engage with games and movies, and are greeted by staff in costume.—
Chris Gallagher,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
The soul patch, villain, and walrus facial hair all work with masks while mutton chops and chin curtain don’t.—
Lisa Wood Shapiro,
Wired News,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Savage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/savage. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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