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savage
/ˈsævɪdʒ/
extremely brutal or fierce
The critic called the movie's ending savage, with no happy resolution.
The critic described the movie's ending as extremely brutal and unforgiving.
informalliterary
extremely violent, cruel, or merciless
The battle was a savage fight with no prisoners taken.
The battle was extremely violent and merciless, with no survivors.
He received savage criticism for his controversial remarks.
He faced extremely harsh and brutal criticism for his controversial remarks.
Often used hyperbolically in modern slang to describe something intense or impressive.
formalliterary
a person regarded as primitive, uncivilized, or brutal
The explorers encountered a tribe they considered savages.
The explorers met a tribe they viewed as primitive and uncivilized.
Historically used in colonial contexts; now considered offensive in many cases.
literaryarchaic
to attack or criticize fiercely
The king savaged his enemies without mercy.
The king attacked his enemies with extreme violence and cruelty.
Rarely used in modern English outside of literary or historical contexts.
Collocations
savage attacka violent and brutal assaultsavage criticismextremely harsh and severe judgmentsavage beautystriking and intense beauty
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Modern vs. Historical Usage
Avoid using 'savage' to describe people in modern contexts, as it can be offensive. Reserve it for describing actions, events, or things (e.g., 'savage storm' or 'savage critique').
Gold Rule
Context Matters
Use 'savage' for intensity or brutality (e.g., 'savage criticism') but avoid it for describing people unless referring to historical or literary contexts.
Word Origin
From Middle French sauvage (wild, untamed), from Latin silvaticus (of the woods), from silva (forest). The sense of 'uncivilized person' dates to the 16th century, while the figurative use for extreme intensity emerged in 21st-century slang.
Usage Notes
In modern slang, 'savage' is often used hyperbolically to describe something impressively intense, skilled, or unfiltered, e.g., 'That burn was savage!' The word retains its negative connotations when describing violence or cruelty but can be positive in contexts like sports or humor.
Word Breakdown
sav-
related to wild or untamed nature
root-age
suffix forming nouns/adj. from verbs/nouns
suffixEnglish Dictionary