wilder

¹ American  

[wil-der] / ˈwɪl dər /

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to lose one's way.

2. to bewilder.

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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.

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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.

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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)

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wilder ² British  

/ ˈwɪldə /

verb

1. to lead or be led astray

2. to bewilder or become bewildered

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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

Richard’s attempt to stage his mother’s funeral, with her coffin being lowered from the ceiling, while “Also sprach Zarathustra” plays and smoke billows toward the audience, fortunately comes to naught; but he announces at the ceremony that he’ll direct a production of Thornton Wilder’s 1938 play “Our Town” at the theater, to “restore the soul of this town.”

From Los Angeles Times

But Nvidia is now in the odd position of having to play elder statesman, if only to temper some of the wilder views about AI.

From The Wall Street Journal

His wife hated the new bristles, but he let them grow fuller and wilder.

From The Wall Street Journal

Dennis Wilder, a former U.S. intelligence officer who has spent decades analyzing the Chinese military and Beijing’s corridors of power, describes the ouster of Zhang as the “most stunning development in Chinese politics” since Xi came to power.

From The Wall Street Journal

Wilder, now a professor at Georgetown University, notes that the fallout is far from over, as Zhang and other senior officers are likely being “sweated” in detention centers to produce confessions and reveal their wider patronage networks, suggesting a much deeper wave of political cleansing to come.

From The Wall Street Journal