savage

Savage, as slang, means boldly brutal, fearless or shockingly honest, often in a way people admire. A savage comeback is a harsh but brilliant roast.

What does savage mean?

In everyday slang, “savage” praises someone for not holding back. It might describe a cutting reply, an unapologetic decision, or a move so ruthless it’s impressive: “She returned his gifts with a thank-you note. Savage.” It can also simply mean “excellent” or “intense.”

Whether it’s a compliment depends on tone. Calling a joke savage usually means it was hilarious and harsh. Calling a person savage can mean they’re fearless, or that they’re mean.

How to use savage

• “He corrected the teacher’s grammar in front of everyone. Savage.”
• “That reply was savage, I can’t believe she posted it.”
• “Leaving the group chat without saying a word is so savage.”
• “Savage workout today, I can barely walk.”

A note on the word

“Savage” has a long history as an insult used to describe Indigenous and colonised peoples. The slang meaning has nothing to do with that, but some people avoid the word for this reason.

Where savage comes from

According to Dictionary.com, the slang sense meaning “excellent” or “fierce” dates to at least the 1990s, and the intensified “savage AF” showed up on Twitter around 2009. It became a very common reaction word on social media in the 2010s.

Related terms

• Extra: over the top.
• Based: boldly yourself.
• Slay: to do something extremely well.
• Ratio: when a reply outshines the original post.

See more terms like this in our Gen Z slang dictionary.