Wilde

American

[wahyld] / waɪld /

noun

Oscar (Fingal O'Flahertie Wills) Sebastian Melmoth, 1854–1900, Irish poet, dramatist, novelist, essayist, and critic.

Wilde British

/ waɪld /

noun

Oscar ( Fingal O'Flahertie Wills ). 1854–1900, Irish writer and wit, famous for such plays as Lady Windermere's Fan (1892) and The Importance of being Earnest (1895). The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891) is a macabre novel about a hedonist and The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898) relates to his experiences in prison while serving a two-year sentence for homosexuality

"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

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.

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars,” wrote Oscar Wilde.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

Her works include land and seascapes as well as her Scallop sculpture in Aldeburgh in tribute to composer Benjamin Britten and her Oscar Wilde sculpture near Trafalgar Square in London.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

“The Invite,” directed by and starring Wilde, sold to the hip New York studio A24 in a deal worth around eight figures, a person familiar with the sale said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 31, 2026

One factor for Wilde was a preference for a traditional theatrical release.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026

In fact, things were going rather well for me and I had gotten engaged to a very nice girl, Jane Wilde.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023