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• wilder
  wilder

  verb (used with object)

  to cause to lose one's way.
• Wilder
  Wilder

  noun

  Billy Samuel Wilder, 1906–2002, U.S. film director, producer, and writer; born in Austria.

wilder

¹ American  

[wil-der] / ˈwɪl dər /

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to lose one's way.

2. to bewilder.

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verb (used without object)

1. to lose one's way.

2. to be bewildered.

wilder ² American  

[wahyl-der] / ˈwaɪl dər /

adjective

1. comparative of wild.

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Wilder ³ American  

[wahyl-der] / ˈwaɪl dər /

noun

1. Billy Samuel Wilder, 1906–2002, U.S. film director, producer, and writer; born in Austria.

2. Laura Ingalls 1867–1957, U.S. writer of children's books.

3. Thornton (Niven) 1897–1975, U.S. novelist and playwright.

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Wilder ¹ British  

/ ˈwaɪldə /

noun

1. Billy, real name Samuel Wilder. 1906–2002, US film director and screenwriter, born in Austria. His films include Double Indemnity (1944), The Lost Weekend (1945), Sunset Boulevard (1950), The Seven Year Itch (1955), Some Like it Hot (1959), The Apartment (1960), and Buddy Buddy (1981)

2. Thornton. 1897–1975 US novelist and dramatist. His works include the novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1927) and the play The Skin of Our Teeth (1942)

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wilder ² British  

/ ˈwɪldə /

verb

1. to lead or be led astray

2. to bewilder or become bewildered

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Other Word Forms

• wilderment
  noun

Etymology

Origin of wilder

First recorded in 1605–15; perhaps extracted from wilderness; intransitive use probably by association with wander

Example Sentences

So Dennis Wilder, then the senior director for East Asian affairs at the National Security Council, had an idea.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

Wilder describes summit planning as an exercise in controlled obsession.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

Cho was downtown after walking off from a convalescent home around 11:55 p.m. on Sunday when he grabbed a bag that Wilder was holding, the prosecutor’s office said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

Whether the power that once dropped Deontay Wilder multiple times has waned, or Makhmudov simply showed a stubborn chin under sustained pressure, Fury couldn't find the breakthrough.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

When the phone reached Wilder, she gave a start of recognition.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater