Synonyms for savage
- adjective
- noun
- verb
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Brutal — brutal, vicious, or merciless
brutal, barbarous, cruel, vicious, violent, merciless, brutish, pitiless, ruthless, remorseless, inhuman, unmerciful, truculent, blood-thirsty, murderous, fell, bloody, rapacious, sanguinary, sadistic, implacable, relentless
2. Ferocious — fierce and ferocious
ferocious, fierce, furious, rabid, ravenous, raging, grim dated, infuriate rare
3. Wild — wild; not cultivated or tamed
wild, untamed, feral, uncultivated, animal, tameless, ferine dated rare, indomite dated
4. Barbaric — barbaric; not civilized
barbaric, barbarian, uncivilized, uncivilised UK, heathen, uncultured, heathenish, noncivilized, noncivilised UK
Noun
Verb
Definitions
- adj. 1
Wild; not cultivated or tamed.
- adj. 2
Barbaric; not civilized.
- n. 1
A member of a traditional, nonindustrialised society or indigenous tribe or other group, typically living closely with nature outside of the infrastructure of urbanized civilization.
- v. 1
To attack or assault someone or something ferociously or without restraint.
No matter how anyone might savage me, I should stay strong.
Related words
- Word family
- savagely savageness savagery savagism
Choose the right word
Savage is more distinctly bloodthirsty than barbarous. In this sense we speak of a savage beast and of barbarous usage.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- violent Violent criminals were often bullies in childhood.
- cruel I think it is cruel to trap animals for fur coats.
- brutal The city was ruined by the brutal force of nature.
- barbarous The slaughter of the prisoners was a barbarous act.
- fierce One reporter said he looked like a fierce bulldog.
- ferocious Layla's house was devoured by a ferocious fire.
By length
- 4 letters
- fell1, wild1, wolf1, rude1, grim1, maul1
- 5 letters
- rough1, beast1, blast1, cruel2, crude1, pagan2, brute1, feral2, rabid2, fiend1
- 6 letters
- attack2, animal3, bloody2, brutal2, fierce1, raging2, vandal2, ferine
- 7 letters
- violent3, furious3, vicious2, condemn2, inhuman3, heathen2, caveman2, untamed, crucify3, brutish2, uncouth2, ruffian, uncivil3, pillory3
- 8 letters
- ruthless2, barbaric3, sadistic3, cannibal3, ravenous3, impolite3, pitiless3, tameless, indomite
- 9 letters
- murderous3, barbarian4, ferocious3, merciless3, barbarous3, rapacious3, infuriate4, truculent3
- 10 letters
- relentless3, implacable4, uncultured, unpolished, unmerciful4, sanguinary, heathenish
- 11 letters
- uncivilized4, remorseless3, uncivilised
- 12 letters
- uncultivated, noncivilized, noncivilised
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (cruel2 = 2 syllables).