savage

English Online Dictionary. What means savage‎? What does savage mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English savage, from Old French sauvage, salvage (“wild, savage, untamed”), from Late Latin salvaticus, alteration of Latin silvaticus (“wild"; literally, "of the woods”), from silva (“forest", "grove”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsævɪd͡ʒ/
• Rhymes: -ævɪd͡ʒ
• Hyphenation: sav‧age

Adjective

savage (comparative more savage, superlative most savage)

1. Wild; not cultivated or tamed.
2. Barbaric; not civilized.
3. Primitive; lacking complexity or sophistication.
4. Fierce and ferocious.
5. Brutal, vicious, or merciless.
6. (slang) Of an insult or person: disrespectful, audacious, and either blunt or sarcastic, in a hilarious way.
7. (UK, slang) Unpleasant or unfair.

8. (Ireland, US, slang) Great, brilliant, amazing.
9. (US, slang) Severe, rude, aggressive.

Derived terms

Related terms

• noble savage

Related terms

• sylvan (see for more terms)

Translations

Noun

savage (plural savages)

1. (derogatory) A person not living in a civilization; a barbarian.
2. (figuratively) An aggressively defiant person.

3. (slang) Someone who speaks in an audacious, hilarious, and often sarcastic manner.
4. (obsolete) A wild and ferocious beast.

Alternative forms

• salvage

Translations

Verb

savage (third-person singular simple present savages, present participle savaging, simple past and past participle savaged) (transitive)

1. To attack or assault someone or something ferociously or without restraint.
2. (figuratively) To criticise vehemently.
3. (of an animal) To attack with the teeth.
4. (obsolete, transitive) To make savage.

Translations

Anagrams

• agaves

Middle English

Alternative forms

• salvage, saveage, sauvage, salvage

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French savage, from Late Latin salvāticus, from Latin silvāticus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /saˈvaːdʒ(ə)/, /sau̯ˈvaːdʒ(ə)/

Adjective

savage

1. savage, barbaric, unmannered, primitive
2. wild, untamed, harsh
3. mighty, strong, powerful
4. ferocious, angry, attacking, opposed
5. (rare) demented, crazy, insane
6. (rare) ill-thought, ill-advised

Derived terms

• savagyne

Descendants

• English: savage
• Scots: savage

References

• “savāǧe, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-07-28.