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
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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
Philip Elliott, Time, 2 Apr. 2025
Miami’s roster doesn’t even come close to comparing to Philadelphia, even after the Eagles got savaged in free agency by the rest of the league this month.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 31 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
DeSantis, who has savaged one of the nominees as uniquely terrible, nonetheless acknowledged this was not the right trajectory for the GOP.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 2 Apr. 2025
Miami’s roster doesn’t even come close to comparing to Philadelphia, even after the Eagles got savaged in free agency by the rest of the league this month.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for savage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for savage
Noun
-
This freshly re-imagined Jag is worlds apart from that old German brute, but was similar in the sense of feeling wonderfully light and responsive, and utilizing hydraulic fluid to power its steering.—
Peter Nelson,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
-
Cops released surveillance photos of a trio of brutes wanted for punching, repeatedly stabbing and robbing a man on a Bronx train last month.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
Once, some 2,000 years ago, so many such personages (then known as barbarians) came to Paris simultaneously that the city was destroyed.—
Caity Weaver,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2025
-
This new Leo is poised to save America’s democracy from American barbarians within, seeking to destroy centuries of democratic compromise toward a more perfect union.—
Emmett Coyne,
The Hill,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
And even if that feels rude by the standards of today, people were forced to answer her questions and answer to the things that the public wanted to know.—
Alex Jhamb Burns,
Vogue,
23 June 2025
-
There are so many things that can be off or what if just the woman walks in and just is not attracted to the guy or the man is rude to the waiter.—
Steve Baltin,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
Adjective
-
Each of the disciples have their own secrets to bear, life taking them on some brutal pathways, the piece leaning into powerful introspection.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
28 June 2025
-
Just over a decade had passed since the end of the brutal twelve-year-long conflict, and street protests often ended in violence.—
Graciela Mochkofsky,
New Yorker,
28 June 2025
Adjective
-
Advertisement Dawn of the Dead (1978) There's a credible case to be made that Romero's 1973 movie The Crazies, about a biological weapon that causes residents of a small town to go feral, qualifies as a zombie movie.—
James Grebey,
Time,
20 June 2025
-
There are tribes of fast, feral predators that resemble the second coming of neanderthals.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
18 June 2025
Adjective
-
The Manchester City striker is one of the global game’s most ferocious and intelligent goalscorers.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
-
Now, she’s added another competitive event to her list of favorites: F1, or Formula 1, largely considered the world's most ferocious and high-tech form of auto racing.—
Marco della Cava,
USA Today,
26 June 2025
Verb
-
The wild and ugly scenes saw rioters attack law enforcement with rocks and Molotov cocktails while others burned vehicles and other property.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
28 June 2025
-
Boone acknowledged that location will be key for Stroman, who can no longer attack hitters head-on at this stage of his career.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
28 June 2025
Noun
-
Two of the game’s most brilliant villains have matured into eloquent eulogists.—
Simon Vozick-Levinson,
Rolling Stone,
30 June 2025
-
For an industry which has long been treated by the television and film industries as a dirty, dangerous business run by unethical, cartoon-ish villains like J.R. Ewing, such a balanced portrayal is a welcome change, indeed.—
David Blackmon,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Savage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/savage. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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