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Showing results for "wilder"
  • comparative of wild.
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  • wilder
    wilder
    verb (used with object)
    to cause to lose one's way.
  • Wilder
    Wilder
    noun
    Billy Samuel Wilder, 1906–2002, U.S. film director, producer, and writer; born in Austria.
Synonyms

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)

"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

wilder 2 British  
/ ˈwɪldə /

verb

  1. to lead or be led astray

  2. to bewilder or become bewildered

"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

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.

See Examples For:

America had its latchkey generation and, along with that, a growing sense that the world is a dangerous place, especially its wilder parts.

From Salon Jul. 15, 2026

Antosca promises that in the back half of the series, the show will get even wilder and more destabilizing.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 5, 2026

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

This revel is going to turn wilder, and with no new High Monarch on the throne, there is little holding any of the revelers back from any entertainment they can devise.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

When she was alive, Wilder herself admitted that her novels were extensively embellished, mainly by her daughter Rose Wilder Lane.

From Salon Jul. 11, 2026

While Wilder's wife Karen B. Wilder said she was "delighted" the series "celebrates the imagination" he brought to the role, some fans questioned the decision, describing it as "disrespectful, external" and "a plastic substitute, external".

From BBC Jul. 1, 2026

You know him as the actor Gene Wilder.

From Los Angeles Times May 22, 2026

For theater scholars and Wilder admirers, this might seem seismic news.

From The Wall Street Journal May 21, 2026

“Who is it?” asked Captain Wilder, and jumped down and stood there looking at the old man.

From "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury

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