The young man who has not wept is a savage, and the old man who will not laugh is a fool.
Source: tatoeba (19576)
Savage
/ˈsævɪd͡ʒ/
Synonyms for "savage" (489 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (98)
Noun(15 words)
aboriginalabradeabuseafflictaggressiveaggrieveagonizeanimalantagonisticanthropophagiteanthropophagousassaultatrociousattackbanefulbarbarianbarbaricbarbarizebarbarousbark
Show 46 more words
batterbattlingbeastbeastlybefoulbeldambellicosebelligerentberserkberserkerbestialbewitchblemishblightbloodthirstybloodybloody mindedbloody-mindedbomberbreakbruisebrutalbrutalizebrutalizedbrutebrutishbuffetburnbutchercannibalcannibalisticcarry onchafechauvinistchauvinisticcheckchipclawcold-bloodedcoldheartedcombativecondemncontentiousconvulsecorruptcrack
Adjective(15 words)
animalisticanimalistic behavioranimalistic tendenciesanimalistic traitsbarbarianbarbarian warfarebarbarianlikebarbaricbarbarousbarbarous communitiesbeastlierbeastlikebloodthirstierbloodthirstiestbrutal
Verb(2 words)
Strong matches (147)
crazecrucifycruelcruel-heartedcursecutcutthroatdamagedeadlydeath dealingdeath-bringingdeathfuldeathlydefiledemondemoniacdemoniacaldemonicdepravedespoil
Show 104 more words
destroydestroyerdestructivedevastatingdevildevilishdiabolicdiabolicaldisadvantagedisservedistressdo a mischiefdo evildo illdo violence todo wrongdo wrong bydo wrong todoomdraconiandragonenemyenragedenvenomexcruciatefatalfellferalferineferociousfiendfiendishfiendlikefiercefightingfighting madfire eaterfire-eaterfirebrandfit to be tiedfoaming at the mouthfracturefrayfrazzlefretfrothing at the mouthfull of fightfumingfuriousfurygallgashget into troubleghoulishgo ongoongorillagothgothicgrimgungunselhammerharasshardhardnoseharmharrowharshhawkishheartlessheathenhell raiserhell-raiserhellcathellhoundhellionhellishhexholy terrorhoodhoodlumhopping madhostilehotheadhotspurhurthyenaill-bredill-treatill-useimpairimpaleimplacableimpolitein a rageincendiaryinciseinfectinfernalinfuriateinfuriatedinhumaninhumane
Related words (244)
inimicalinjureinternecinejingojingoishjingoistjingoisticjinxkill by incheskill crazykill-crazykillerkillingknock aboutlaceratelancinatelay wastelethallootmacerate
Show 197 more words
mad dogmadcapmafiosomaimmake mincemeat ofmalignmalignantmaltreatman eaterman-eatermanhandlemartialmartyrmartyrizemaulmenacemercilessmilitantmilitaristicmilitarymishandlemistreatmolestmonstermonstrousmortalmugmuggermurderousmutilateneanderthalnihilistnoncivilizedoffensiveoutlandishoutrageperniciouspersecutepiercepillagepitilessplay havoc withplay hob withpoisonpolluteprejudiceprimevalprimitivepugnaciouspuncturepunishquarrelsomerabidrackrackingrageragingramprampagerantrantingrapaciousraperapistraveravenousravingraving madrelentlessremorselessrendrevolutionaryriotriproarroaring madroughrough uprough-and-readyruderuggedruinrunruptureruthlesssaber-rattlingsacksadisticsanguinarysanguineoussatanicscaldscarifyscathescathingscorchscotchscrapescrappyscratchscuffseveresharksharkishshe-wolfskinslashslaughterslaveringslitsoldierlikesoldierlysow chaosspitfiresprainstabstickstormstormingstrainsubhumantainttamelesstartareanteartear aroundtermagantterribleterrorterroristterrorizethreatentigertigresstormenttorturetoughtough guytraumatizetrigger happytrigger-happytroglodytetroglodytictruculenttumultuousugly customerunbrokenunchristianunciviluncivilizeduncombeduncontrolleduncouthuncultivatedunculturedundomesticatedunfriendlyungentleunhumanunkemptunlickedunmercifulunpacificunpeacefulunpolishedunrefinedunrelentingunsubdueduntamedvandalvandalizevenomousviciousviolateviolentviragovirulentvixenvoraciouswarlikewarmongeringwarringwildwild beastwild manwitchwolfwolfishwoundwreak havocwreak havoc onwreckwreckerwrenchwringwrongyoung turk
Noun(17 words)
Adverb(1 words)
more animalistic tendencies
Verb(1 words)
Adjective(8 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: barbarian, brute, aboriginal, abrade, abuse.
- Sentence evidence is available for savage, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "savage".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "savage"
Keep "savage" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "savage" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "savage", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "savage" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
23 entriesShowing 16 of 23 words.
More specific
17 entriesShowing 16 of 17 words.
Collocations
14 entriessavage attacksavage beatingsavage behaviorsavage blowsavage brutalitysavage criticismsavage critiquesavage damagesavage insultsavage pacesavage performancesavage ragesavage remarksavage violence
Inflections
5 entriesDerivations
2 entriessimilar
6 entriesTranslations
57 translations across 32 languages.
Arabic
2 entries- مُتَوَحِّش noun (uncivilized or feral person)
- هَمَجِيّ noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Armenian
1 entries- վայրենի noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Belarusian
2 entries- дзіку́н noun (uncivilized or feral person)
- дзіку́нка noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Bulgarian
2 entries- дива́к noun (uncivilized or feral person)
- дива́чка noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Catalan
1 entries- salvatge noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 野蠻人 /野蛮人 noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Czech
2 entries- divoch noun (uncivilized or feral person)
- divoška noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Finnish
2 entries- villi noun (uncivilized or feral person)
- villi-ihminen noun (uncivilized or feral person)
French
1 entries- sauvage noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Georgian
2 entries- ველური noun (uncivilized or feral person)
- უკულტურო noun (uncivilized or feral person)
German
4 entries- Barbar noun (uncivilized or feral person)
- Barbarin noun (uncivilized or feral person)
- Wilde noun (uncivilized or feral person)
- Wilder noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Greek
1 entries- άγριος noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Hindi
2 entries- जंगली noun (uncivilized or feral person)
- बर्बर noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Hungarian
1 entries- vadember noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Ido
1 entries- sovajo noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Italian
1 entries- selvaggio noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Japanese
1 entries- 野蛮人 noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Korean
1 entries- 야만인 noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Latin
2 entries- barbarus noun (uncivilized or feral person)
- ferus noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Macedonian
2 entries- дивјак noun (uncivilized or feral person)
- дивјачка noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Nandi
1 entries- korom noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- villmann noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Polish
2 entries- dzikus noun (uncivilized or feral person)
- dzikuska noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Portuguese
1 entries- selvagem noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Russian
3 entries- варвар noun (uncivilized or feral person)
- дика́рка noun (uncivilized or feral person)
- дика́рь noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Serbo-Croatian
4 entries- divljàkinja noun (uncivilized or feral person)
- divljàkuša noun (uncivilized or feral person)
- dìvljāk noun (uncivilized or feral person)
- дивља̀киња noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Slovak
2 entries- divoch noun (uncivilized or feral person)
- divoška noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Slovene
2 entries- divjak noun (uncivilized or feral person)
- divjakinja noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Swedish
2 entries- barbar noun (uncivilized or feral person)
- vilde noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Tok Pisin
1 entries- bus kanaka noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Ukrainian
2 entries- дику́н noun (uncivilized or feral person)
- дику́нка noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Vietnamese
1 entries- người dã man noun (uncivilized or feral person)
Sample sentences
48 total sentences available.
A savage tribe lived there in those days.
Source: tatoeba (44723)
There are still some savage tribes on that island.
Source: tatoeba (44755)
The primitive man was frightened at the sight of a savage beast.
Source: tatoeba (239460)
Showing 4 of 48 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "savage"?
Closest matches include barbarian, brute, aboriginal, abrade, abuse.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "savage"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.