save

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save^¹

/seɪv/ US, UK
/sæɪv/ Australia, New Zealand
/sev/ Scotland
/seːv/ Wales

Rhymes with -eɪv

Where it comes from

From Middle English saven, sauven, a borrowing from Old French sauver, from Late Latin salvāre (“to save”). Displaced native Old English nerian.

verb saves · saving · saved · save

transitive To help (somebody) to survive, or rescue (somebody or something) from harm. She was saved from drowning by a passer-by.
transitive To keep (something) safe; to safeguard. Thou hast[…]quitted all to save / A world from utter loss.
ditransitive, transitive To spare (somebody) (from effort, or from something undesirable). I'll save you / That labour, sir. All's now done.
ambitransitive, especially, transitive To redeem, protect, rescue, or keep (someone) from eternal damnation. Jesus Christ came to save sinners.
transitive To catch or deflect (a shot at goal). Chelsea's youngsters, who looked lively throughout, then combined for the second goal in the seventh minute. Romeu's shot was saved by Wolves goalkeeper Dorus de Vries but Piazon kept the ball alive and turned it back for an unmarked Bertrand to blast home.
transitive To preserve, as a relief pitcher, (a win of another pitcher's on one's team) by defending the lead held when the other pitcher left the game.
transitive To store for future use. Let's save the packaging in case we need to send the product back.
Similar: lay aside, lay away, lay by, lay in, lay up, put aside, put away, put by, store away, store up
transitive To conserve or prevent the wasting of. Save electricity by turning off the lights when you leave the room.
transitive To obviate or make unnecessary. Will you not speak to save a lady's blush?
intransitive, transitive To write (a file) to disk or other storage medium. Where did I save that document? I can't find it on the desktop.
intransitive To economize or avoid waste, often with on.
intransitive, transitive To accumulate (money or other valuables or resources), often with up and/or for. (transitive) I'm trying to save enough money for a new car.
archaic, slang, transitive To make an agreement to give (some amount of money) to a fellow gambler if one wins, and to receive that amount from them if they win, as a form of hedging. to save a fiver
often, reflexive, with "for" To refrain from romantic or (especially in later use) sexual relationships until one is married or is with a suitable partner. She told me she's saving herself for marriage.
informal To repress or avoid saying (something). Save your excuses and lies.

noun saves

An instance of preventing (further) harm or difficulty. As 1942 began, work was now continuing apace on getting the ships back afloat and into dock. The first good news in this regard was West Virginia. Thanks to a combination of Tennessee's unintentional save and the crew's own efforts, she'd settled upright, and so divers estimated that, if the various
In various sports, a block that prevents an opponent from scoring. The goaltender made a great save.
A successful attempt by a relief pitcher to preserve the win of another pitcher on one's team. Jones retired seven to earn the save.
slang A point in a professional wrestling match when one or more wrestlers run to the ring to aid a fellow wrestler who is being beaten. The giant wrestler continued to beat down his smaller opponent, until several wrestlers ran in for the save.
informal An action that brings one back out of an awkward situation. Nice save.
The act, process, or result of saving data to a storage medium. If you're hit by a power cut, you'll lose all of your changes since your last save.
A saving throw.

preposition

Except; with the exception of. Under the terms of the Interdict no church services and offices were to be permitted save the baptism of infants and the confession of the dying.
Similar: saving, barring, except for, save for

conjunction

Unless; except. Only the parties may institute proceedings, save where the law shall provide otherwise.

Save^²

proper noun

A river in southeastern Africa that flows about 400 km (250 mi) from south of Harare in Zimbabwe, through Mozambique, to the Indian Ocean. “I am from the Save River. But I married. To a man from afar, Phiri, from Malawi.”
Similar: Sabi
A river in southern France that flows about 143 km (89 mi) from the Pyrenees to the Garonne at Grenade.

SAVE^³

Where it comes from

Abbreviation.

noun

abbreviation, acronym, uncountable Acronym of synthetic attenuated viral engineering

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: save up, lay aside, carry through, redeem, keep, deliver, relieve, spare, pull through, conserve, salvage, salve, preserve, bring through, hold open, keep open

Translations

Every language

verb to help someone to survive, or rescue someone

Español	salvar, rescatar
한국어	구하다 guhada, 구출하다 guchulhada
日本語	救う sukuu, 助ける tasukeru, 救助する kyūjo suru, 救出する kyūshutsu suru
中文	拯救 zhěngjiù
हिन्दी	बचाना bacānā
Kiswahili	kuokoa
Português	ajudar, salvar, socorrer
Français	sauver
Deutsch	retten
Italiano	salvare, soccorrere
Ελληνικά	σώζω sózo
Română	salva
Русский	спаса́ть spasátʹ, спасти́ spastí
Tiếng Việt	cứu, cứu nguy, giải thoát
العربية	أَنْقَذَ ʔanqaḏa, أَنْجَى ʔanjā, نَجَّى najjā
עברית	הִצִּיל hitsíl

verb to keep safe; to safeguard

Français	sauvegarder, épargner, préserver, protéger
Tiếng Việt	bảo vệ

verb to spare (somebody from effort, or from something undesirable)

Français	épargner
Română	scuti
Tiếng Việt	tha, miễn

verb Christianity: to redeem, protect, or rescue from eternal damnation

Español	salvar, redimir
日本語	救う sukuu
Kiswahili	kuokoa
Português	salvar
Français	sauver
Deutsch	erretten
Italiano	salvare, redimere
Ελληνικά	σώζω sózo, λυτρώνω lytróno
Română	mântui
Русский	спаса́ть spasátʹ, спасти́ spastí
Tiếng Việt	cứu vớt
עברית	הושיע hoshía

verb sports: to catch or deflect a shot at goal

Español	parar
Français	sauver, parer, arrêter, bloquer
Tiếng Việt	phá bóng

verb to store for future use

Español	ahorrar, guardar, reservar
日本語	保存する hozon suru, 保管する hokan suru
中文	節約 /节约 jiéyuē, 儲蓄 /储蓄 chǔxù
Português	armazenar, estocar, guardar
Français	mettre de côté, garder, conserver
Deutsch	sichern, speichern
Italiano	risparmiare, immagazzinare, mettere da parte
Ελληνικά	αποθηκεύω apothikévo
Română	păstra
Русский	копи́ть kopítʹ, скопи́ть skopítʹ, накопи́ть nakopítʹ, сохраня́ть soxranjátʹ, сохрани́ть soxranítʹ
Tiếng Việt	để dành
العربية	اِدَّخَرَ iddaḵara
עברית	חסך, שמר shamár

verb to conserve or prevent the wasting of

Français	économiser, préserver
Deutsch	sparen
Română	economisi
Русский	эконо́мить ekonómitʹ, сэконо́мить sɛkonómitʹ
Tiếng Việt	tiết kiệm
العربية	اِدَّخَرَ iddaḵara

verb to obviate or make unnecessary

Français	éviter
Tiếng Việt	ngăn

verb computing: to write (a file) to a storage medium

Español	guardar, grabar, salvar, archivar
한국어	보존하다 bojonhada
日本語	保存する hozon suru
中文	保存 bǎocún, 儲存 /储存 chúcún
हिन्दी	सहेजना sahejnā
Português	guardar, salvar, gravar
Français	enregistrer, sauvegarder
Deutsch	speichern
Italiano	salvare
Ελληνικά	αποθηκεύω apothikévo
Română	salva
Русский	сохраня́ть soxranjátʹ, сохрани́ть soxranítʹ, записа́ть zapisátʹ
Tiếng Việt	lưu, lưu trữ
العربية	حَفِظَ ḥafiẓa

verb to economize

Español	ahorrar
한국어	아끼다 akkida, 절약하다 jeoryakhada
日本語	節約する setsuyaku suru
中文	節省 /节省 jiéshěng
Português	poupar
Français	économiser
Deutsch	sparen
Italiano	risparmiare
Ελληνικά	οικονομώ oikonomó
Română	economisi
Русский	эконо́мить ekonómitʹ, сэконо́мить sɛkonómitʹ
Tiếng Việt	tiết kiệm
עברית	חסך khasákh

verb to accumulate money

Español	ahorrar
日本語	貯金する chokin suru
Português	poupar, guardar
Français	épargner, mettre de côté, économiser, thésauriser
Deutsch	sparen
Italiano	risparmiare, racimolare, raggranellare, accumulare
Ελληνικά	αποταμιεύω apotamiévo
Română	economisi
Русский	копи́ть kopítʹ, скопи́ть skopítʹ, накопи́ть nakopítʹ
Tiếng Việt	tích, dành dụm
עברית	חסך khasákh

noun block that prevents an opponent from scoring

Español	parada, salvada, defensa
Português	defesa
Français	arrêt
Italiano	parata
Ελληνικά	απόκρουση apókrousi
Русский	сейв sejv

noun computing: act, process, or result of saving data to a storage medium

Italiano	salvare

name river in Africa

中文	薩韋河 /萨韦河 Sàwéi hé
Português	Save
Français	Savé
Deutsch	Save
Русский	Саве

name river in France

中文	薩韋河 /萨韦河 Sàwéi hé
Français	Save
Deutsch	Save
Русский	Сав Sav

Talk about this word

Cite this

MLA

"save." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/save. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

APA

save. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/save

Chicago

"save." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 5, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/save.

BibTeX

@misc{save_2026,
  title = {save},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/save},
  urldate = {2026-11-05}
}

save

AI In plain words

save¹

Where it comes from

verb saves · saving · saved · save

noun saves

preposition

conjunction

Save²

proper noun

SAVE³

Where it comes from

noun

Thesaurus

Translations

verb to help someone to survive, or rescue someone

verb to keep safe; to safeguard

verb to spare (somebody from effort, or from something undesirable)

verb Christianity: to redeem, protect, or rescue from eternal damnation

verb sports: to catch or deflect a shot at goal

verb to store for future use

verb to conserve or prevent the wasting of

verb to obviate or make unnecessary

verb computing: to write (a file) to a storage medium

verb to economize

verb to accumulate money

noun block that prevents an opponent from scoring

noun computing: act, process, or result of saving data to a storage medium

name river in Africa

name river in France

save^¹

Save^²

SAVE^³