Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for wild oats. Search instead for wild ass.

wild oats

British  

plural noun

  1. slang the indiscretions of youth, esp dissoluteness before settling down (esp in the phrase sow one's wild oats )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

wild oats Idioms  

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

In the bad, late-'90s cable version of this story, Minda's sowing her wild oats but eventually realizes he's the one, and then they get married and have babies and whatever.

From Salon Oct. 1, 2023

In Season 2, Gwen has attempted to sow her wild oats as a D.J. in Bali, and she returns home with a fresh, if not always welcome, perspective.

From New York Times Aug. 4, 2022

Prince Karl goes to university in Heidelberg, sows wild oats, and falls in love with an innkeeper’s niece.

From Los Angeles Times Feb. 12, 2021

Still, where there is discord, let Boris sow his wild oats.

From The Guardian Dec. 13, 2019

In the spring the tall grass grew along its sides— wild oats and mallow weeds and yellow mustard mixed in.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember new words for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com