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
In the 2000 Loser, Jason Biggs plays Paul, a sweet but unhip Midwestern kid who gets a scholarship to NYU, only to be met with the sneering savagery of his rich-kid roommates.
—
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 July 2025
The savagery on display should be terrifying, but in a world where humans are so divorced from their actions, everything feels plastic, random, pointless.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 18 July 2025
Their elite leadership faced war crimes at the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials, and their inhuman savagery was documented and widely published.
—Eric Patterson, National Review, 28 June 2025
In that kind of large-scale project, Thompson-Jones traces echoes of a brutal legacy: the savagery of the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin’s Arctic infrastructure campaign, in which roads, railways, and mines were built by prisoners and forced laborers, many of whom died during the construction.
—Michael Albertus, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for savagery
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 July 2025
The savagery on display should be terrifying, but in a world where humans are so divorced from their actions, everything feels plastic, random, pointless.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 18 July 2025
Their elite leadership faced war crimes at the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials, and their inhuman savagery was documented and widely published.
—Eric Patterson, National Review, 28 June 2025
In that kind of large-scale project, Thompson-Jones traces echoes of a brutal legacy: the savagery of the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin’s Arctic infrastructure campaign, in which roads, railways, and mines were built by prisoners and forced laborers, many of whom died during the construction.
—Michael Albertus, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for savagery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for savagery
Noun
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But her private letters to her sister Cassandra show a sharper and more astringent person, someone whose cruelty and bitterness were redeemed only by her jokes.—
Lucy Worsley
September 16,
Literary Hub,
16 Sep. 2025
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Justice came for Petal when her previous owner was arrested and charged with cruelty to animals on September 12, a press release from CGHS stated.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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More Ethan Miller/Getty Images Their history is defined by brutality.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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For a country still reckoning with the brutality of its dark past, the trial of several high ranking military officers in a civilian court is a singular achievement.—
Adriana Carranca,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Savagery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/savagery. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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