English Reference
Adverb

savagely

adv. manner
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˈsævɪdʒɫi/ UK /sˈævɪdʒli/ sav·age·ly

adv.in a very violent, cruel, or brutal way. You use this to describe an attack or a comment that is very harsh and hurts someone.

adv.in a violent, cruel, or brutal manner. Often describes physical attacks or metaphorical criticism that is exceptionally harsh.


SIMPLE

The dog savagely attacked the intruder.

CONTEXTUAL

The critic savagely reviewed the new play, calling it a complete waste of time and talent.

COMPLEX

The storm savagely battered the coastline, leaving a trail of destruction that would take years for the local community to fully recover from.


From savage + -ly.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated