Meaning & use
saved
Last updated
“saved” is a form of “save”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Past tense and past participle of 'save': kept someone or something from harm, loss, or danger.
Grammar: Takes an object: saved the child. Often used in passive: was saved from the fire.
Patterns
- saved someone from something
- saved something from something
The lifeguard saved the drowning swimmer.
He saved the company from bankruptcy.
The old documents were saved from the fire.
verbtransitive or intransitive
Past tense and past participle of 'save': kept money for future use instead of spending it.
Grammar: Can be used with or without an object: I saved money. / I saved for a car.
Patterns
- saved money
- saved for something
- saved up for something
She saved $200 every month for a year.
They saved up for a trip to Japan.
We saved enough to buy a house.
verbtransitivecomputing
Past tense and past participle of 'save': stored data in a computer or on a disk.
Grammar: Takes an object: saved the file. Often used in computing contexts.
Patterns
- saved a file
- saved the document
- saved to a folder
I saved the report before closing the program.
Make sure you saved your work.
The game automatically saved your progress.
adjectivenot comparablereligion
In religion, freed from sin and given eternal life through faith.
Grammar: Used as an adjective, often in religious contexts: a saved soul.
Patterns
- saved by grace
- saved through faith
She believes she is saved by God's grace.
The preacher spoke about being saved.
He considers himself a saved Christian.
nouncountablesport
In sports, a stop or block made by a goalkeeper to prevent a goal.
Grammar: Countable noun: made a save, made ten saves. Often used in soccer, hockey, etc.
Patterns
- make a save
- a great save
The goalkeeper made a spectacular save.
He had five saves in the first half.
That save kept the team in the game.
Word forms
| base form | save |
|---|---|
| third person singular | saves |
| present participle | saving |
| past tense | saved |
| past participle | saved |
Common combinations
- saved by the bell
- The boxer was saved by the bell when the round ended.
- saved from
- The cat was saved from the tree by a firefighter.
- saved up for
- They saved up for a new car.
- saved the day
- Her quick thinking saved the day.
- saved file
- I can't find the saved file on my computer.
- saved soul
- The missionary prayed for every saved soul.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rescued
- Rescued is more specific to being freed from immediate danger; saved is broader and can also mean kept for future use or stored data.
- preserved
- Preserved means kept in good condition over time, often for historical or cultural items; saved is more general.
- stored
- Stored is used for keeping information or goods for later use, especially in computing; saved is more common in everyday language for money and data.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: saved or salved?
saved vs salved
Salved means comforted or soothed, often in an emotional sense; saved means rescued or kept. They sound similar but have different meanings.
Practice
Choose the correct word: 'She ______ her work before the computer crashed.'
Choose one answer.
The past tense 'saved' is needed because the action happened before the crash. 'Save' is present, 'saving' is continuous, and 'saves' is third-person singular present, which do not fit the past context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “saved”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.