savage

sav|age1 [ `sævıdʒ ] adjective *

▸ 1 cruel/unpleasant/violent

▸ 2 extremely severe

▸ 3 land: with no buildings

▸ 4 criticizing very much

▸ 5 of culture: not advanced

1. ) cruel and unpleasant or violent:

a savage attack/beating/murder

A savage look flitted across his face.

She took a savage pleasure in pointing out their mistakes.

a ) a savage animal is likely to attack you

2. ) extremely severe:

the most savage cuts ever imposed on the National Health Service

Losing his job had been a savage blow.

3. ) a savage area of land has no buildings on it and looks very cold:

a bare savage landscape

a savage coastline

4. ) criticizing someone or something very much:

She wrote a savage review of the book.

a savage attack on the government's policies

5. ) OLD-FASHIONED an insulting way of describing someone or something from a culture that is not advanced

╾ sav|age|ly adverb:

She was savagely attacked in her own home.

╾ sav|age|ness noun uncount

savage

sav|age 2 [ `sævıdʒ ] noun count

1. ) someone who is cruel and violent

2. ) OLD-FASHIONED an insulting word for someone from a culture that is not advanced

savage

sav|age 3 [ `sævıdʒ ] verb transitive

1. ) to criticize someone or something severely:

Smith's play was savaged by the critics.

2. ) if an animal savages someone, it attacks them and injures or kills them:

A jogger was savaged by two Rottweilers yesterday.