wallow

American  

[wol-oh] / ˈwɒl oʊ /

verb (used without object)

1. to roll about or lie in water, snow, mud, dust, or the like, as for refreshment.

   Goats wallowed in the dust.

2. to live self-indulgently; luxuriate; revel.

   to wallow in luxury; to wallow in sentimentality.

   Synonyms:

   bask, swim

3. to flounder about; move along or proceed clumsily or with difficulty.

   A gunboat wallowed toward port.

4. to surge up or billow forth, as smoke or heat.

   Waves of black smoke wallowed into the room.

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noun

1. an act or instance of wallowing.

2. a place in which animals wallow.

   hog wallow; an elephant wallow.

3. the indentation produced by animals wallowing.

   a series of wallows across the farmyard.

wallow British  

/ ˈwɒləʊ /

verb

1. (esp of certain animals) to roll about in mud, water, etc, for pleasure

2. to move about with difficulty

3. to indulge oneself in possessions, emotion, etc

   to wallow in self-pity

4. (of smoke, waves, etc) to billow

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noun

1. the act or an instance of wallowing

2. a muddy place or depression where animals wallow

Other Word Forms

• wallower noun

Etymology

Origin of wallow

before 900; Middle English walwe, Old English wealwian to roll; cognate with Gothic walwjan; akin to Latin volvere

Explanation

To wallow is to roll about in something, as a pig wallows in mud or a billionaire wallows in money. Wallow can be used to describe a physical action or an emotional state. If you cry "Woe is me!" one too many times, you might be accused of wallowing in self-pity. Because of its association with the much-maligned pig, wallow often has a negative, insulting tone. So, rather than wallowing in that pile of money once you've won the lottery, try bathing or wading in it instead.

Example Sentences

Having lost their World Cup play-off semi-finals against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Italy respectively five days earlier, given the choice, Wales and Northern Ireland would probably have had the night off to wallow.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

It's a return to the cheeky good humour he's known for - because, Sam being Sam, he'd rather count his blessings than wallow in his feelings.

From BBC • Oct. 22, 2025

But if you’re ever tempted to wallow about it, consider the romantic trials of “Downton Abbey” heroine Lady Mary.

From Salon • Sep. 14, 2025

It won’t slam the door on Tesfaye’s movie ambitions, but as a bid to conquer the big screen, it’s an off-putting, see-what-sticks wallow that treats the power of cinema like a midconcert costume change.

From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2025

There’s just this part of me that has to wallow, the part that cues up Les Misérables when I’m sad.

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

Related Words

• flounder
• lurch
• totter