savagery

English

Etymology

From savage +‎ -ry.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsæv.ɪd͡ʒ.ɹɪ/

Noun

savagery (countable and uncountable, plural savageries)

1. (uncountable) Savage or brutal behaviour; barbarity.
2. (countable) A violent act of cruelty.
3. Savages collectively; the world of savages.
   • 1927, Havelock Ellis, Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 2 (of 6)‎:

     They spring out of an element of diffused homosexuality which is at least as marked in civilization as it is in savagery.

4. (uncountable) Wild growth of plants.
   • 1990, Brian Leverett, Water Gardens: Step-By-Step to Success, page 9:

     […] they […] made, amongst other features, lead ponds. With their departure these lands once more reverted to savagery; gardening, along with virtually all aspects of culture, disappeared and with it the man-made water gardens.

Derived terms

• sweet savagery

Translations

being savage

Armenian: վայրենություն (hy) (vayrenutʻyun) Bulgarian: дивачество n (divačestvo) Esperanto: sovaĝeco French: sauvagerie (fr) f German: Wildheit (de) f Greek: αγριότητα (el) f (agriótita) Ancient: ὠμότης f (ōmótēs) Ido: sovajeso Irish: fiántas m Latin: saevitia f Macedonian: дивјаштво n (divjaštvo) Maori: taratutū Norwegian: brutalitet m, villskap m Polish: dzikość (pl) f Portuguese: selvageria (pt) f Russian: ди́кость (ru) f (díkostʹ) Swedish: barbari (sv) n

act of cruelty

Armenian: վայրենություն (hy) (vayrenutʻyun) Bulgarian: свирепост (bg) f (svirepost), жестокост (bg) f (žestokost) Greek: αγριότητα (el) f (agriótita) Macedonian: дивјаштво n (divjaštvo) Norwegian: grusomhet (no) m Portuguese: selvageria (pt) f Russian: свире́пость (ru) f (svirépostʹ), зве́рство (ru) n (zvérstvo), жесто́кость (ru) f (žestókostʹ) Spanish: salvajada (es) f, salvajería (es) f, salvajismo m Swedish: grymhet (sv) c