Meaning & use
savior
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A person who rescues someone or something from danger or trouble.
Grammar: Countable: you were my savior.
Patterns
- savior of something
- a savior to someone
The lifeguard was the swimmer's savior.
Her quick thinking made her the savior of the project.
proper nounproperreligion
In Christianity, a title for Jesus Christ, written with a capital S.
Grammar: Capitalized, usually with the: the Savior.
Patterns
- the Savior
Christians celebrate the birth of the Savior at Christmas.
The hymn praises the Savior.
Word forms
| plural | saviors |
|---|
Common combinations
- national savior
- The press called him the national savior.
- act as a savior
- The new coach acted as a savior for the team.
- savior complex
- He has a savior complex and wants to fix everyone.
- my savior
- Thanks for the ride, you're my savior.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rescuer
- Stresses the physical act of saving.
- deliverer
- Formal; suggests freeing people from oppression.
- lifesaver
- Informal; often used for a helpful person or thing.
Opposites
Word family
- save verb
- to rescue from danger
- saving noun
- the act of rescuing or sparing
Commonly confused: savior or saver? savior or saviour?
savior vs saver
A saver puts money aside; a savior rescues people from danger.
savior vs saviour
Saviour is the British spelling of savior.
Practice
When the power failed before my talk, the technician was my ___.
Choose one answer.
A savior rescues someone from a difficulty. The others are people who cause or worsen trouble.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “savior”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.