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# savage

adjective (savage; more savage, most savage); noun (a savage, savages — offensive when used about people); verb (savage, savages, savaged, savaging)

«savage» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Savage means very fierce, violent and cruel, like a savage attack by a wild animal. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/savage/#m1)
2. Savage can mean very severe or harsh, such as savage cuts to spending or savage criticism. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/savage/#m2)
3. To savage someone or something is to attack it fiercely, with teeth or with words. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/savage/#m3)
4. (slang) Savage means boldly harsh, rude in a funny way, or super cool: «That comeback was savage!» [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/savage/#m4)
5. (offensive, old) In the past Europeans called other peoples «savages»; this was unfair and racist, and we do not use it about people today. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/savage/#m5)

### In the lessons

In stories it describes fierce animals and storms. In history lessons pupils learn that calling Indigenous peoples «savages» was a way of looking down on them. In young people's slang «savage» praises a brutal joke or a bold move. Phrases: «a savage attack», «savage storm», «be savaged by a dog», «that's savage» (slang).

### Examples

- The farmer's sheep were savaged by a dog. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/savage/#x1)
- A savage storm destroyed the pier. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/savage/#x2)
- Critics savaged the new film. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/savage/#x3)
- «Your jokes are like your football: weak.» «Oof, savage!» [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/savage/#x4)
- Old explorers called local people «savages», which was cruel and wrong. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/savage/#x5)
- The lion gave a savage roar. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/savage/#x6)
- The school faced savage cuts to its budget. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/savage/#x7)
- They were savage fighters and hunters. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/savage/#x8)

### Note

Adjective, verb and noun. Calling people «savages» is offensive. Slang «savage» is a compliment among friends but can hurt if used to be mean. Adverb: savagely.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «savage» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/savage/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«savage» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/savage.html) on Mova free.