What does "savage" mean?
A person not living in a civilization; a barbarian.
Savage
/ˈsævɪd͡ʒ/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Top 500 ·Elementary level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person not living in a civilization; a barbarian.
- Grammar: savage is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: barbarian, brute, aboriginal, abrade.
- Useful contrasts: christian, kindly, civilized country.
- Usage evidence: The young man who has not wept is a savage, and the old man who will not laugh is a fool.
How to use "savage"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "savage" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "savage" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "savage" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "savage" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "savage" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "barbarian" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "savage", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person not living in a civilization; a barbarian. derogatory, historical
"'Well, my lord, I don't know,' said Freeman with a sort of jolly sneer; 'we have been dining with the savages.' 'They are not savages, Freeman.' 'Well, my lord, they have not much more clothes, anyhow; and as for knives and forks, there is not such a thing known.'"
- 2 a cruelly rapacious person wordnet
- 3 An aggressively defiant person. figuratively
"Their kids are little savages! One of them bit me the other day."
- 4 a member of an uncivilized people wordnet
- 5 Someone who speaks in an audacious, hilarious, and often sarcastic manner. slang
"It was on Dec. 29 that TikTok star Liv Pearsall posted a video titled "7 Times Elmo Was an Absolute Savage," in which the star with more than 2.7 million followers lip-synced to various Elmo-ments."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A wild and ferocious beast. obsolete
"The torch-eyed ſavage, with growl tremendous, riſing up, diſlocated at one blow the arched neck of Sadit's Arabian ſteed, and brought the unfortunate omrah to the duſt, expiring between his extended claws."
Verb
- 1 To attack or assault someone or something ferociously or without restraint. transitive
"No matter how anyone might savage me, I should stay strong."
- 2 criticize harshly or violently wordnet
- 3 To criticise vehemently. figuratively, transitive
"His latest film was savaged by most reviewers."
- 4 attack brutally and fiercely wordnet
- 5 To attack with the teeth. transitive
Show 1 more definition
- 6 To make savage. obsolete, transitive
"Its bloodhounds, savaged by a cross of wolf."
Adjective
- 1 Wild; not cultivated or tamed.
"a savage wilderness"
- 2 Barbaric; not civilized.
"savage manners"
- 3 Primitive; lacking complexity or sophistication.
- 4 Fierce and ferocious.
"savage beasts"
- 5 Brutal, vicious, or merciless.
"He gave the dog a savage kick."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 Of an insult or person: disrespectful, audacious, and either blunt or sarcastic, in a hilarious way. slang
"Wow, that was a savage burn. Absolutely no chill."
- 7 Unpleasant or unfair. UK, slang
"– I'll see you in detention. – Ah, savage!"
- 8 Great, brilliant, amazing. Ireland, US, slang
- 9 Severe, rude, aggressive. US, slang
"– They were so savage to them!"
Adjective
- 1 without civilizing influences wordnet
- 2 (of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering wordnet
- 3 wild and menacing wordnet
- 4 marked by extreme and violent energy wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
- 2 An unincorporated community and census-designated place in Howard County, Maryland.
- 3 A suburban city in Scott County, Minnesota; a suburb of Minneapolis.
- 4 An unincorporated community in Tate County, Mississippi.
- 5 An unincorporated community in Richland County, Montana.
Example
"The young man who has not wept is a savage, and the old man who will not laugh is a fool."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "savage"?
Common synonyms include: barbarian, brute, aboriginal, abrade, abuse, afflict.
How do you use "savage" in a sentence?
The young man who has not wept is a savage, and the old man who will not laugh is a fool.
How do you pronounce "savage"?
Pronounced /ˈsævɪd͡ʒ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English savage, from Old French sauvage, salvage (“wild, untamed”), from Late Latin salvāticus, alteration of Latin silvāticus (“wild”, literally “of the woods”), from silva (“forest; grove”). Doublet of sylvatic.
Etymology 2
* As an English surname of Norman origin, from the adjective savage. Compare Sauvage. * As an Irish surname, from ó Sabháin, also Anglicized as O'Savin; see Savin. * As a Jewish and Slavic surname, Americanized from Savich, Serbo-Croatian Savić. See Savic.