Savage (; 48), a.
Etymology: [F. sauvage, OF. salvage, fr. L. silvaticus belonging to a wood, wild, fr. silva a wood. See Silvan, and cf. Sylvatic.]
1. Of or pertaining to the forest; remote from human abodes and cultivation; in a state of nature; nature; wild; as, a savage wilderness.
2. Wild; untamed; uncultivated; as, savage beasts. Cornels, and savage berries of the wood. Dryden.
3. Uncivilized; untaught; unpolished; rude; as, savage life; savage manners. What nation, since the commencement of the Christian era, ever rose from savage to civilized without Christianity E. D. Griffin.
4. Characterized by cruelty; barbarous; fierce; ferocious; inhuman; brutal; as, a savage spirit.
1 more senses
Syn. -- Ferocious; wild; uncultivated; untamed; untaught; uncivilized; unpolished; rude; brutish; brutal; heathenish; barbarous; cruel; inhuman; fierce; pitiless; merciless; unmerciful; atrocious. See Ferocious.
2 other Webster entries under this spelling
Savage, n.
1. A human being in his native state of rudeness; one who is untaught; uncivilized, or without cultivation of mind or manners.
2. A man of extreme, unfeeling, brutal cruelty; a barbarian.
Savage (; 48), v. t.
To make savage. [R.] Its bloodhounds, savaged by a cross of wolf. South
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for savage; he lists it under barbarous, bitter, fierce.
Where he writes about it:
Savage is more distinctly bloodthirsty than barbarous. — from barbarous
In this sense we speak of a savage beast and of barbarous usage. — from barbarous
Savage signifies untrained, uncultivated. — from fierce