Savage vs Ruthless - What's the difference?

savage | ruthless |

As adjectives the difference between savage and ruthless

is that savage is wild; not cultivated while ruthless is without pity or compassion; cruel, pitiless.

As a noun savage

is an uncivilized or feral human; a barbarian.

As a verb savage

is to attack or assault someone or something ferociously or without restraint.

As a proper noun Savage

is {{surname|lang=en}.

savage

English

Adjective

(en adjective)

wild; not cultivated

a savage wilderness

* Dryden

savage berries of the wood

barbaric; not civilized

savage manners

* 1719-

I observed a place where there had been a fire made, and a circle dug in the earth, like a cockpit, where I supposed the savage wretches had sat down to their human feastings upon the bodies of their fellow-creatures.

* E. D. Griffin

What nation, since the commencement of the Christian era, ever rose from savage to civilized without Christianity?

fierce and ferocious

savage beasts

a savage spirit

brutal, vicious or merciless

He gave the dog a savage kick.

The woman was killed in a savage manner.

(UK, slang) unpleasant or unfair

- I'll see you in detention.
- Ah, savage !

Noun

(en noun)

(pejorative) An uncivilized or feral human; a barbarian.

* 1847 , , Tancred: or The New Crusade , page 251

'Well, my lord, I don't know,' said Freeman with a sort of jolly sneer; 'we have been dining with the savages'.'
'They are not ' savages , Freeman.'
'Well, my lord, they have not much more clothes, anyhow; and as for knives and forks, there is not such a thing known.'

(figuratively) A defiant person.

Verb

(transitive)

To attack or assault someone or something ferociously or without restraint.

(figuratively) To criticise vehemently.

*{{quote-magazine, date=2013-08-10, volume=408, issue=8848, magazine=(The Economist), author=Lexington

, title= Keeping the mighty honest , passage=British journalists shun complete respectability, feeling a duty to be ready to savage the mighty, or rummage through their bins. Elsewhere in Europe, government contracts and subsidies ensure that press barons will only defy the mighty so far.}}

(of an animal) To attack with the teeth.

(obsolete) To make savage.

* South

Its bloodhounds, savaged by a cross of wolf.

Anagrams

ruthless

English

Adjective

(wikipedia ruthless) (en adjective)

Without pity or compassion; cruel, pitiless.

* 1725 , , Volume I, Bernard Lintot, page 10:

At length their rage the ho?tile Pow’rs re?train, / All but the ruthle?s Monarch of the Main.