as in cruelty
disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others
a study of the savagery shown by soldiers in wartime
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Recent Examples of savagery
Slaveholders first developed the trope in the 1790s in their representations of the emergent nation of Haiti, framing it as a dangerous site of social experimentation and savagery where Black freedom would inexorably lead to white death.
—
Time, 9 June 2025
That the specific task at hand in Warfare is so vague is a good reminder that though this happened 20 years ago, there are people right now who have been ordered to enforce political will with violence, and this savagery will likely repeat for all time.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 28 Mar. 2025
The men who abducted Paiva were indicted by federal prosecutors in 2014—but they have been protected by an amnesty law, passed as the regime was coming to an end, which has effectively kept the country from reckoning with the savagery of military rule.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
Anderson loves visceral, gut-punch action, and in the past he’s brought to fairly generic stories an invigorating sense of menace and savagery.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for savagery
Time, 9 June 2025
That the specific task at hand in Warfare is so vague is a good reminder that though this happened 20 years ago, there are people right now who have been ordered to enforce political will with violence, and this savagery will likely repeat for all time.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 28 Mar. 2025
The men who abducted Paiva were indicted by federal prosecutors in 2014—but they have been protected by an amnesty law, passed as the regime was coming to an end, which has effectively kept the country from reckoning with the savagery of military rule.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
Anderson loves visceral, gut-punch action, and in the past he’s brought to fairly generic stories an invigorating sense of menace and savagery.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for savagery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for savagery
Noun
-
The new law adds to existing municipal ordinances that forbid animal cruelty or neglect, including leaving a pet in too small of a space or outside in the hot Florida sun.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
3 July 2025
-
The record got its name from a title track that comes mid-album, a plucky, haunting Americana song that explores the ties between love and cruelty.—
Audrey Gibbs,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
Kenya’s biggest cities have been roiled for days by protesters demonstrating against stagnating growth, soaring inequality, and police brutality.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
11 July 2025
-
The entire world needs to stand up and condemn the severe incident, which again reveals the brutality of Hamas.—
Zach LaChance,
The Washington Examiner,
6 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Savagery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/savagery. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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