savageness

noun

Definition of savagenessnext
as in cruelty
disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others the unthinkable savageness that must be required to torture a prisoner

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of savageness Government should tame the savageness of man and make life in this world more gentle, not crueler. — Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for savageness
  1. cruelty
  2. brutality
Noun
  • The doc is similarly unflinching in showing the horrific scene from 1900 in which Donald Sutherland’s sadistic fascist murders a young boy in a shockingly callous way, while Laura Betti as his equal in cruelty dissolves into blood-curdling cackles.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Shooting a wild animal with a pellet gun and causing needless suffering is also within the scope of a felony animal cruelty charge.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of cruelty
Noun
  • However, only Atef Najib, Assad’s cousin, a security chief infamous for his brutality, is likely to face execution, the rest having been tried in absentia.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 6 Sep. 2026
  • If Wayne, a fictional character, were a more solid creation, the movie could better explore the issue of whether answering racist brutality in kind is more effective than relying on an inadequate system.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of brutality

Browse Nearby Words

savagely
savageness
savagery
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Cite this Entry

“Savageness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/savageness. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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