wilder

¹ American  

[wil-der] / ˈwɪl dər /

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to lose one's way.

2. to bewilder.

---

verb (used without object)

1. to lose one's way.

2. to be bewildered.

wilder ² American  

[wahyl-der] / ˈwaɪl dər /

adjective

1. comparative of wild.

---

Wilder ³ American  

[wahyl-der] / ˈwaɪl dər /

noun

1. Billy Samuel Wilder, 1906–2002, U.S. film director, producer, and writer; born in Austria.

2. Laura Ingalls 1867–1957, U.S. writer of children's books.

3. Thornton (Niven) 1897–1975, U.S. novelist and playwright.

---

Wilder ¹ British  

/ ˈwaɪldə /

noun

1. Billy, real name Samuel Wilder. 1906–2002, US film director and screenwriter, born in Austria. His films include Double Indemnity (1944), The Lost Weekend (1945), Sunset Boulevard (1950), The Seven Year Itch (1955), Some Like it Hot (1959), The Apartment (1960), and Buddy Buddy (1981)

2. Thornton. 1897–1975 US novelist and dramatist. His works include the novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1927) and the play The Skin of Our Teeth (1942)

---

wilder ² British  

/ ˈwɪldə /

verb

1. to lead or be led astray

2. to bewilder or become bewildered

---

Other Word Forms

• wilderment noun

Etymology

Origin of wilder

First recorded in 1605–15; perhaps extracted from wilderness; intransitive use probably by association with wander

Example Sentences

Fifteen directors made our list at least twice, an eclectic group whose ranks include Amy Heckerling, David Lynch, Charles Burnett, Kathryn Bigelow, Michael Mann and Billy Wilder — the latter of whom has two films in the top 10.

From Los Angeles Times

Thornton Wilder has written characters that we all know, like the person delivering the milk, the two mums talking over the garden wall.

From BBC

A year later, the rubble has been mostly cleared away, leaving exposed pilings jutting from the sand as property owners struggle to navigate a permitting process complicated by the area’s wilder, mountainside landscape prone to mudslides and beach erosion.

From The Wall Street Journal

Fury enjoyed two reigns as heavyweight champion and boasts a professional record of 34 wins, two defeats - both against Usyk - and one draw with Deontay Wilder.

From BBC

After more than two and a half years away from the ring, during which he addressed mental health struggles, Fury returned in 2018 and regained world champion status by defeating Wilder in 2020 to win the WBC title.

From BBC