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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in feral
living outdoors without taming or domestication by humans
savage beasts that seemed threatening to the tourists
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to attack
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
book reviewers mercilessly savaged his latest novel
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in cruelty
disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others
the unthinkable savageness that must be required to torture a prisoner
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of savage
The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, 27 Jan. 2023
Russia has escalated its assault in the area in recent days, unleashing savage fighting that has underscored the high cost of the battle.
—Isabelle Khurshudyan, Washington Post, 15 Jan. 2023
Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2025
This thrilling prequel stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa and Alyla Browne as young Furiosa, who is abducted by the savage warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) — leader of the Biker Horde — and spends the next decade in captivity plotting her revenge and escape.
—Charlotte Walsh, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
H. Jiahong Pan, Twin Cities, 1 Aug. 2025
Thus, even for only two hours, that pain feels unbothered by being savaged by American history's past, present and future.
—Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for savage
Noun
Portland leaders and others in the metro area and Oregon joined a nationwide chorus Friday to condemn the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols as Memphis police released a video of his savage attack by officers.
—The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, 27 Jan. 2023
Russia has escalated its assault in the area in recent days, unleashing savage fighting that has underscored the high cost of the battle.
—Isabelle Khurshudyan, Washington Post, 15 Jan. 2023
Adjective
My father was a thirty-two-year-old tank commander who had crossed to occupied France shortly after D-Day, fought in the savage battle for Caen and then on through northern France.
—Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2025
This thrilling prequel stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa and Alyla Browne as young Furiosa, who is abducted by the savage warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) — leader of the Biker Horde — and spends the next decade in captivity plotting her revenge and escape.
—Charlotte Walsh, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
Somewhere in the not-too-distant future, two young friends — or perhaps cuddle buddies or lovers — accomplish missions throughout an underground metropolis savaged by capitalism to make ever-elusive rent, while facing flaky clients, bandits and low credit scores.
—H. Jiahong Pan, Twin Cities, 1 Aug. 2025
Thus, even for only two hours, that pain feels unbothered by being savaged by American history's past, present and future.
—Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for savage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for savage
Adjective
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Bailey plays half-elf ranger Vex, O’Brien is her twin brother Vax, Willingham is the lovable barbarian Grog, Johnson is the holy gnome cleric Pike, Jaffe is the royal gunslinger Percy, Ray is magical half-elf druid Keyleth and Riegel is the raunchy gnome bard Scanlan.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
24 July 2025
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The economy will not thrive on backward, barbarian technologies and our babies will suffer from the burden of debt, bad air and blackouts.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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The scene, which was not in Stephenie Meyer's 2008 book that the movie was adapted from, raised eyebrows for its brutal killings of vampires Carlisle Cullen (Peter Facinelli) and Jasper Hale (Jackson Rathbone), as well as werewolves Seth (Booboo Stewart) and Leah Clearwater (Julia Jones).—
Jen Juneau,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
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In a new era of Steven Knight’s Peaky Blinders, the race to own Birmingham’s massive reconstruction project becomes a brutal contest of mythical dimensions.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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There are somewhere between 60 million to 100 million feral cats in the United States, rivaling the number of cozy pets.—
Rebecca van Laer
September 30,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
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The roughly 5-month-old kitten got a fresh start after he and his littermates were found living in a colony of feral cats.—
Simone Jasper,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In a competition bear-ly more ferocious, 12 chunky brown bears in Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve have been battling it out in one of the most cutthroat places on the planet – the internet.—
Lilit Marcus,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
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The numbers may not leap off the page, but one of Sunday’s most exciting clashes was the 60-minute chess match between the Detroit Lions’ run game and the Cleveland Browns’ ferocious defensive front.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In the hands of editor Richard Mettler, some of those fragments serve montages that interlace how the tribes prepare to defend themselves with the way Jalabzeen readies himself to attack.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
2 Oct. 2025
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Having attacked the edge of the six-yard box, Rodon has to back-pedal and meet the ball, again, wide of the goal.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Your neighbors may even call you rude.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
30 Sep. 2025
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Crowd in New York has been bordered on rude; embarrassing!—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The worry with a dog like Chey is the fact they could be locked in a vicious cycle.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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The show follows Ed Gein (Charlie Hunnam), an unassuming and odd man, working his family’s farm under the watchful eye of his hateful and vicious mother, Augusta (Laurie Metcalf).—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Each frame evokes the gauzy coziness and charm of peak-era '80s horror films such as Silver Bullet (1985), with its wilder elements anchored by a murderers' row of accomplished performers.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Oct. 2025
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Meanwhile, the energy costs involved in finishing the wall will take a brutal toll on wild species.—
Ganesh Marín,
The Dial,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Savage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/savage. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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