savages 1 of 2

noun

plural of savage
1
as in brutes
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person what kind of savage would hurt a baby?

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in barbarians
an uncivilized person inhabitants of exotic lands were invariably portrayed by early travel writers as savages

Synonyms & Similar Words

savages

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of savage
as in attacks
to criticize harshly and usually publicly book reviewers mercilessly savaged his latest novel

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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 savages
Noun
Or a group of shipwrecked boys turning into savages and killing one another? — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026 The Indians in Westerns had war paint and whooped like savages. — Literary Hub, 28 May 2026 Smoothbrain libs and savages can KMA. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026 This notion was based on outdated presumptions of hillforts as being occupied by violent, prehistoric savages. — News Desk, Artforum, 10 Apr. 2026 Or Irish, in a time when they were seen as savages by the Englishmen? — Arushi Jacob, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for savages
  1. brutes
  2. barbarians
  3. attacks
  4. villains
  5. scolds
  6. monsters
  7. abuses
  8. criminals
Noun
  • These brutes commonly exceed 50 pounds.
    — Keith Sutton, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2026
  • In Raspail’s tale, hordes of impoverished and dark-​skinned brutes from India descend onto French shores by way of rafts, the first wave of an invasion of the civilized West by the brown-​skinned developing world.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026
Definition of brutes
Noun
  • The world drew heavily from the paintings of fantasy illustrator Frank Frazetta, who depicted scenes of barbarians and beasts in conflict, of pulp fiction heroes, femme fatales, and fierce warrior women.
    — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 29 June 2026
  • To an outsider, the scene may spark a certain Schadenfreude, like an army of tiny barbarians sacking Rome.
    — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of barbarians
Verb
  • The once-quiet judges see a growing threat in a president who personally attacks jurists ruling against him.
    — Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 11 July 2026
  • The study surveyed blood donations for the disease’s key antibody, which is in a class dubbed IgE and specifically attacks a double-sugar molecule called galactose-α-1,3-galactose, also known as alpha-gal.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 7 July 2026
Definition of attacks
Noun
  • The New Zealander drew international acclaim for roles as gruff loners and unhinged villains.
    — Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 13 July 2026
  • Neill played dashing heroes, sinister villains (see The Piano), authority figures, famous figures, and father figures.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 July 2026
Definition of villains
Verb
  • Someone else scolds the offender.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 16 June 2026
  • Inspired by This Is Spinal Tap, Cundieff makes quick work of lambasting the casual misogyny and homophobia ingrained in hardcore rap, but also of the media scolds unable to parse the message of the music.
    — Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 June 2026
Definition of scolds
Noun
  • With its vivid monsters and an emphatic, complex dive into the human heart, Homer has inspired countless adaptations, from stage, screen, television, comics, alongside a continuous stream of new translations.
    — Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 14 July 2026
  • At their Czech–Indian wedding, Jacob and Mia’s tradition-hungry guests unexpectedly begin transforming into flesh-eating monsters.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 14 July 2026
Definition of monsters
Verb
  • New York City’s child welfare agency routinely abuses its emergency power to take children from their parents without a court order, creating lifelong consequences for families, a new class-action lawsuit seeking to end the practice alleged Thursday.
    — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 28 May 2026
  • People deserve a government that watches out for our people’s best interests, not one that abuses its powers and sells us to the highest bidder.
    — Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Definition of abuses
Noun
  • Supporters will argue that criminals should not be able to hide behind wallets.
    — Susie Violet Ward, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • And just like Alito, some members of my family have forgotten our history and support Trump or favor some of his immigration policies, dismissing new arrivals as criminals or lazy.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of criminals

Browse Nearby Words

savagery
savages
savaging
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Cite this Entry

“Savages.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/savages. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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