slang, dated
savage
Meaning
- Impressively blunt, harsh, or bold, meant as a compliment.
- (noun) Someone who acts that way without apology.
“Telling her boss exactly what she thought of the plan? Savage.”
Where it came from
An old insult that branded people as uncivilized, long aimed at Indigenous peoples. Hip-hop and internet slang turned it into praise for bluntness by the mid-2010s, and Megan Thee Stallion’s 2020 song “Savage” pushed that sense into the mainstream.