adjective

1. wild, uncultivated, rugged, etc. a savage jungle
2. fierce; ferocious; untamed a savage tiger
3. without civilization; primitive; barbarous a savage tribe
4. lacking polish; crude; rude
5. cruel; pitiless
6. furious; ill-tempered

Etymology: ME sauvage < OFr salvage < VL salvaticus, wild < L silvaticus, belonging to a wood, wild < silva, a wood: see sylvan

noun

1. Archaic a member of a nonliterate culture, often having a tribal way of life
2. a fierce, brutal person
3. a crude, boorish person

transitive verb savaged -·aged, savaging -·ag·ing