savage

1 not civilized Tarzan is usually portrayed as a noble but savage warrior of the jungle Synonyms barbarian, barbaric, barbarous, heathen, heathenish, natural, Neanderthal (or Neandertal), rude, uncivil, uncivilized, uncultivated, wild Related Words coarse, crude, primitive, rough; uncouth, uncultured Near Antonyms cultured, enlightened, humane, sophisticated; genteel, polished, polite, refined, urbane, well-bred; semicivilized Antonyms civilized

2 having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others a savage attack on a helpless person Synonyms atrocious, barbaric, barbarous, brutal, brute, butcherly, fiendish, heartless, inhuman, inhumane, sadistic, cruel, truculent, vicious, wantonRelated Words 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, oppressiveNear Antonyms tender, warm, warmhearted; charitable, clement, lenient, merciful, pitying; pacific, peaceable, peacefulAntonyms 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 feral, wild, unbroken, undomesticated, untamed, wildingRelated Words uncontrolled, undocile, unsubdued, untrained; bestial, brutal, brute; barbarous, uncivilizedNear Antonyms controlled, docile, familiar, semidomesticated, subdued, submissive; halterbroken, housebroken, trained; civilized, semicivilized, socializedAntonyms 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 fell, ferocious, grim, fierce, viciousRelated Words argumentative, assaultive, bellicose, belligerent, brawly, chippy, combative, confrontational, discordant, disputatious, feisty, gladiatorial, militant, pugnacious, scrappy, warlike; bare-knuckle (also bare-knuckled or bare-knuckles), 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, voraciousNear Antonyms 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, culturedAntonyms gentle, mild, unaggressive

to criticize harshly and usually publicly book reviewers mercilessly savaged his latest novel Synonyms abuse, assail, bash, belabor, blast, castigate, excoriate, jump (on), lambaste (or lambast), potshot, attack, scathe, slam, trash, vituperateRelated Words 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)Near Antonyms acclaim, commend, compliment, hail, laud, praise