What does savages mean?
Savages is most commonly the plural of the noun savage, meaning people portrayed as wild, uncivilized, or brutally violent. The expression can accurately describe especially cruel attackers, but it is often derogatory and, in historical or colonial contexts, has helped reinforce racist stereotypes of Indigenous peoples; neutral descriptions are usually preferable. Savages can also be the third-person singular present of the verb savage, as in “she savages the defense,” meaning to attack, criticize, or treat something with ferocious intensity. As a noun, it belongs to an emotionally loaded register rather than scholarly discussion of peoples or cultures. As a verb, it is forceful but informal, often describing an attack, assault, or harsh criticism. The word is especially useful today as a reminder that language describing groups as “savage” can encode prejudice, not merely characterize behavior. In general contexts, specify the conduct—such as “brutal attackers”—instead of labeling people as “savages.”
The plural of savage: people regarded as wild, uncivilized, or cruel and violent; in older usage, the word could also refer to wild animals.
"The novel describes the raiders as savages who terrorized the surrounding settlements."
The term is derogatory when applied to identifiable peoples or ethnic groups and should not be used as a neutral substitute for describing a culture.
The third-person singular present of savage, meaning to attack fiercely or treat something with great cruelty; figuratively, it can mean to criticize harshly.
"The boxer savages his opponent in the final round."
This form is forceful and somewhat informal, especially in figurative descriptions of criticism or competition.
This is the standard plural of the noun savage. The same spelling also serves as the third-person singular present of the verb savage, so context determines its grammatical function.
"Witnesses described the attackers as savages."
Its Latin ancestor meant “of the woods” or “wild,” before English transformed a woodland image into a loaded label for supposedly uncivilized people.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Words that share this root
Related word forms
How savages is actually used
As a noun, savages is emotionally charged and can be insulting or racist when applied to peoples or ethnic groups, especially in historical and colonial contexts. As a verb, it is forceful and often informal, commonly describing a vicious attack or harsh criticism.
Easily confused with savages
Savages can mean cruel or uncivilized people or the verb form meaning to attack fiercely, whereas salvages means to rescue, recover, or preserve something.