SAVAGENESS Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

savageness

noun

Definition of savageness

as in cruelty

disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others the unthinkable savageness that must be required to torture a prisoner

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of savageness Government should tame the savageness of man and make life in this world more gentle, not crueler. — Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for savageness

Noun

Assembly Bill 2344 by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) would give animals seized in cruelty cases a respite from crowded shelters by allowing them to be placed in foster homes or with animal rescue groups.

— Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
The stupidity of losing his car was one thing; the cruelty of forcing her to make that choice was quite another.

— Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026

Definition of cruelty

Noun

Lee learned much about the systemic oppression that Black Americans faced from his first student, Jesse Glover, who had been a victim of police brutality.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
These early precedents in fictional brutality also weaken Thomson’s next point, about literature’s superiority.

— Michael O’Donnell, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026

Definition of brutality

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savagely

savageness

savagery

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“Savageness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/savageness. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of savageness

noun

Example Sentences

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