Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - savage

~1 adj 1 very cruel and violent  (a savage dog | The punishment seemed too savage.) 2 criticizing someone or something very severely  (savage attack/criticism etc)  (an unexpectedly savage attack on the President's record) 3 very severe and harmful  (savage pay cuts) 4 only before noun old-fashioned an insulting way of describing a person or group from a country where the way of living seems very simple and undeveloped; primitive1 (1) - savagely adv - savageness n ~2 n old-fashioned an insulting word for someone from a country where the way of living seems very simple and undeveloped  (This culture flourished while Europeans were still savages living in caves.) ~3 v 1 if an animal savages someone, it attacks and bites them, causing serious injuries  (savaged by a mad dog) 2 to criticize someone or something very severely  (The play was savaged by the critics.)