wildebeest
Americannoun
-
wildebeests,
plural
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wildebeest
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of wildebeest
1830–40; < Afrikaans wildebees < Dutch wildebeest, equivalent to wild wild + beest beast
Explanation
A wildebeest is a large, four-legged animal with hooves and curved horns. You might be able to see herds of wildebeests if you travel to the open plains of Africa south of the Sahara desert. Another name for a wildebeest is a gnu. The word wildebeest comes from the Afrikaans wildebees, or "wild beast," while gnu is derived from a name native Africans used for the animal. An antelope relative, the wildebeest is distinctive for its shaggy mane and front-heavy shape, with most of its weight in its forequarters. Wildebeests are migratory, traveling as much as 1000 miles each year.
Vocabulary lists containing wildebeest
Africa - Introductory
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Africa - Middle School
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Africa - High School
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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:
The reserve’s wildlife population, including wildebeest, has already plummeted to less than a third of its 1970s levels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025
Jamelle, I think you wanted to answer in a more substantive way than my wildebeest comment.
From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2025
Although plants don’t get up and migrate like herds of wildebeest, they do shift over time as climate zones change.
From Salon ● Feb. 17, 2025
Leopards are nocturnal animals that hunt a variety of prey, including wildebeest, antelope and fish, the Kruger National Park website says.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2024
He looked like a very young Teddy Roosevelt, sans moustache, about to lead the Rough Riders up San Juan Hill or go out and track a wildebeest or something.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
"How does cyanide kill the elephants and leave behind the zebras, antelopes and wildebeests, which are eating the grass together?"
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
The term climate migration has an orderly, almost bucolic ring to it, evoking as it does the age-old seasonal treks of caribou, wildebeests, and other charismatic species.
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2023
When they finally arrive in Kenya, the female wildebeests birth around half a million calves.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
In the rainy seasons, the expansive floor is lush and teeming with animals, including massive herds of migrating wildebeests.
From New York Times ● Apr. 17, 2023
The Big Match You and Coby are on teams that like each other as much as crocs and Kenyan wildebeests.
From "Booked" by Kwame Alexander
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.
