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
  • He also was arrested on charges of misdemeanor child abuse, unauthorized practice of veterinary medicine for performing surgery on dogs, and dozens of counts of animal cruelty.
    — Karen Morfitt, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Police identified the suspect as 21-year-old Saleem Martin, who has been charged with kidnapping, theft by taking, simple battery, entering an automobile, cruelty to children and criminal attempt to commit a felony.
    — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of cruelty
Noun
  • Tobe Hooper’s original film is arguably the best artistic achievement that the genre has ever seen, boasting an unflinching portrayal of brutality that holds up to this day.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Darnella Frazier, 17, took out her phone and recorded the brutality.
    — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of brutality

Browse Nearby Words

savagely
savageness
savagery
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Savageness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/savageness. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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