wild man
Americannoun
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a person who is uncivilized; a savage.
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a person of violent temper, erratic behavior, etc.
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a person of extreme or outrageous political opinions.
noun
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a savage
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an extremist in politics
Etymology
Origin of wild man
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300
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.
“He’s a wild man out there,” Lea said of Pavia last month.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2025
She also linked it with various other figures from English folklore, like the woodwose, a wild man covered in fur.
From Slate ● Apr. 8, 2023
Jerry Lee Lewis, the original wild man of rock ‘n’ roll whose explosive records, fiery performances and real-life scandals made him one of the genre’s most fascinating and fearsome figures, died on Friday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2022
Jerry Lee Lewis was the original wild man of rock'n'roll.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2022
Did I look like a wild man or something?
From "Slam!" by Walter Dean Myers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
