Spanish Conversation · Level 66
60 words
Spanish word
salvaje
Pronunciation
IPA/salˈβaxe/
Meaning
- adjectivewild
Example
En el zoológico vimos a un animal salvaje.
At the zoo we saw a wild animal.
More examples
El ataque salvaje sorprendió a todos.
The savage attack surprised everyone.
Core concept
An untamed creature living and surviving in the natural environment.
Common phrases
animal salvaje
wild animal
ataque salvaje
savage attack
comportamiento salvaje
wild behavior
Similar words
silvestre: Naturally occurring in the wild, typically describing plants or wild growth.
feroz: Fiercely violent and aggressive, displaying dangerous ferocity.
indómito: Untamable in temperament, refusing to be trained or subdued.
bestial: Roughly violent and coarse, lacking civilized restraint or gentleness.
Definition in Spanish
Que vive en la naturaleza y no está domesticado; en sentido figurado, que muestra conducta violenta o cruel.
Word origin
From Latin silvaticus (silva 'forest') through Romance languages into Old Spanish, originally meaning 'of the woods' and later extended figuratively to violent or cruel behavior.
Usage tips
- Salvaje commonly describes undomesticated animals and also strong violent or cruel conduct, so it feels harsher than the broad English 'wild' in many contexts.
Other meanings
- ferociousadjective
- savageadjective
- brutaladjective
Opposites
- domesticadodomesticatedadjective
- mansotameadjective
Related words
- salvajismosavagerynoun
- salvajementesavagelyadverb