Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

savage

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of savage

1 a mean, evil, or unprincipled person

  • what kind of savage would hurt a baby?
Synonyms of savage

baddie (or baddy), beast, brute, caitiff, devil, evildoer, fiend, heavy, hound, knave, meanie (also meany), miscreant, monster, nazi, no-good, rapscallion, rascal, reprobate, rogue, scalawag (or scallywag), scamp, scapegrace, scoundrel, varlet, villain, wretch
Words Related to savage

villainess

blackguard

criminal, crook, culprit, felon, lawbreaker, malefactor, offender, perp, perpetrator, transgressor

sinner, trespasser, wrongdoer

cad, heel, serpent, snake, viper

bandit, bravo, desperado, outlaw

con, convict, jailbird

assassin, cutthroat, gangster, goon, gunman, hoodlum, hooligan, racketeer, ruffian, thug

rough, rowdy, tough

loser, lowlife, neʼer-do-well, stinker, trash
Near Antonyms of savage

angel, innocent, saint

hero

2 an uncivilized person

  • inhabitants of exotic lands were invariably portrayed by early travel writers as savages
Synonyms of savage

barbarian, heathen
Words Related to savage

Neanderthal, primitive

noble savage

savage

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of savage

1 not civilized

  • Tarzan is usually portrayed as a noble but savage warrior of the jungle
Synonyms of savage

barbarian, barbaric, barbarous, heathen, heathenish, natural, Neanderthal (or Neandertal), rude, uncivil, uncivilized, uncultivated, wild
Words Related to savage

coarse, crude, primitive, rough

uncouth, uncultured
Near Antonyms of savage

cultured, enlightened, humane, sophisticated

genteel, polished, polite, refined, urbane, well-bred

semicivilized
Antonyms of savage

civilized

2 having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others

  • a savage attack on a helpless person
Synonyms of savage

atrocious, barbaric, barbarous, brutal, brute, butcherly, cruel, fiendish, heartless, inhuman, inhumane, sadistic, truculent, vicious, wanton
Words Related to savage

hard-hearted, ironhearted, merciless, pitiless, ruthless, stonyhearted, unfeeling

fell, ferocious, grim

bloodthirsty, cutthroat, murderous, sanguinary, sanguine

catty, despiteful, hateful, malevolent, malicious, malign, malignant, mean, nasty, spiteful, vindictive

draconian, draconic, hardhanded, harsh, heavy-handed, oppressive
Phrases Synonymous with savage

red in tooth and claw
Near Antonyms of savage

tender, warm, warmhearted

charitable, clement, lenient, merciful, pitying

pacific, peaceable, peaceful
Antonyms of savage

benign, benignant, compassionate, good-hearted, humane, kind, kindhearted, sympathetic, tenderhearted

3 living outdoors without taming or domestication by humans

  • savage beasts that seemed threatening to the tourists
Synonyms of savage

feral, unbroken, undomesticated, untamed, wild, wilding
Words Related to savage

uncontrolled, undocile, unsubdued, untrained

bestial, brutal, brute

barbarous, uncivilized
Near Antonyms of savage

controlled, docile, familiar, semidomesticated, subdued, submissive

halterbroken, housebroken, trained

civilized, semicivilized, socialized
Antonyms of savage

broken, busted, domestic, domesticated, gentled, tame, tamed

4 violently unfriendly or aggressive in disposition

  • early explorers avoided those areas that were rumored to be inhabited by savage natives
Synonyms of savage

fell, ferocious, fierce, grim, vicious
Words Related to savage

argumentative, assaultive, bellicose, belligerent, brawly, chippy, combative, confrontational, discordant, disputatious, feisty, gladiatorial, militant, pugnacious, scrappy, warlike

bare-knuckle (also bare-knuckled), blood-and-guts, in-your-face, take-no-prisoners

contentious, quarrelsome, truculent

menacing, threatening

bestial, brute, inhuman, inhumane

barbaric, uncivilized, wild

heartless, implacable, merciless, pitiless, relentless, ruthless, unrelenting, wanton

bloodthirsty, bloody, homicidal, murdering, murderous, sanguinary, sanguine

rapacious, ravenous, voracious
Near Antonyms of savage

amicable, companionable, comradely, congenial, cordial, friendly, genial, hearty, warm, warmhearted

compliant, submissive, tame

benign, compassionate, kind, merciful

pacific, peaceable, peaceful

amiable, complaisant, obliging

human, humane

civilized, cultured
Antonyms of savage

gentle, mild, unaggressive

Synonym Discussion of savage

fierce, ferocious, barbarous, savage, cruel mean showing fury or malignity in looks or actions. fierce applies to humans and animals that inspire terror because of their wild and menacing aspect or fury in attack.
    • fierce warriors
ferocious implies extreme fierceness and unrestrained violence and brutality.
    • a ferocious dog
barbarous implies a ferocity or mercilessness regarded as unworthy of civilized people.
    • barbarous treatment of prisoners
savage implies the absence of inhibitions restraining civilized people filled with rage, lust, or other violent passion.
    • a savage criminal
cruel implies indifference to suffering and even positive pleasure in inflicting it.
    • the cruel jokes of schoolboys

savage

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of savage

to criticize harshly and usually publicly

  • book reviewers mercilessly savaged his latest novel
Synonyms of savage

abuse, assail, attack, bash, belabor, blast, castigate, excoriate, jump (on), lambaste (or lambast), potshot, scathe, slam, trash, vituperate
Words Related to savage

berate, harangue, harass, harry, revile, scold, whip

blaspheme, curse, execrate, imprecate, profane

affront, insult, slur

asperse, bad-mouth, belittle, blackguard, disparage, put down

libel, slander, traduce, vilify

chastise, chide, criticize, lace (into), rebuke, reprimand, reproof

fulminate, lash (out)
Phrases Synonymous with savage

beat up on, light into, sail into, tie into
Near Antonyms of savage

acclaim, commend, compliment, hail, laud, praise

Learn More about savage

  1. See words that rhyme with savage Dictionary: Definition of savage Spanish Central: Translation of savage Nglish: Translation of savage for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of savage for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up savage? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

vitiate

to make faulty or ineffective

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. nebulous Lip reading, Brexit, and semantic uncertainty

  2. synergy Mueller files Cohen details.

  3. slumgullion From the broadcast of 'It Happened on Fifth Avenue'

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games