wilder
verb (used with object)
to cause to lose one's way.
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wilder
1 American
[wil-der]
/ ˈwɪl dər /
verb (used with object)
-
to cause to lose one's way.
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to bewilder.
verb (used without object)
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to lose one's way.
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to be bewildered.
wilder
2
American
[wahyl-der]
/ ˈwaɪl dər /
adjective
Wilder
3
American
[wahyl-der]
/ ˈwaɪl dər /
noun
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Billy Samuel Wilder, 1906–2002, U.S. film director, producer, and writer; born in Austria.
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Laura Ingalls 1867–1957, U.S. writer of children's books.
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Thornton (Niven) 1897–1975, U.S. novelist and playwright.
Wilder
1
British
/ ˈwaɪldə /
noun
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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)
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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
-
to lead or be led astray
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to bewilder or become bewildered
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of wilder
First recorded in 1605–15; perhaps extracted from wilderness; intransitive use probably by association with wander
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.
Sir David was close to home again for this series, which lifted the lid on the teeming activity that can make UK gardens just as fascinating as wilder and more exotic places.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
Some of the wilder estimates of $200 for Brent suggest to Brooks an assumption that price elasticity is zero – in other words, demand is not impacted at all.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026
Intuition will be your guide — the wilder, the better.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026
It’s fruitier, a little exotic, a little wilder.
From Salon • Nov. 30, 2025
In the end, the music grew wilder as two alarm clocks had a fight.
From "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick
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.
