adverb

savagely

savagely, fiercely, brutally

The lion attacked its prey savagely.

The lion attacked its prey savagely.

He was savagely criticized by the press.

He was savagely criticised by the press.

((verb)) + savagely to modify a verb in a fierce or brutal manner The lion attacked savagely.

Synonyms: brutally, fiercely, viciously; Antonyms: gently, mildly, kindly

From 'savage' + '-ly' (adverb suffix). 'Savage' derives from Old French 'sauvage' ('wild'), from Latin 'silvaticus' ('of the woods').

Think of a 'savage' beast acting in a wild, uncontrolled way. The '-ly' suffix indicates it's describing an action.

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