wild

[ wahyld ]

/ waɪld /

|||

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR wild ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, wild·er, wild·est.

living in a state of nature; not tamed or domesticated: a wild animal; wild geese.

growing or produced without cultivation or the care of humans, as plants, flowers, fruit, or honey: wild cherries.

uncultivated, uninhabited, or waste: wild country.

uncivilized or barbarous: wild tribes.

of unrestrained violence, fury, intensity, etc.; violent; furious: wild strife; wild storms.

characterized by or indicating violent feelings or excitement, as actions or a person's appearance: wild cries; a wild look.

frantic or distracted; crazy: to drive someone wild.

violently or uncontrollably affected: wild with rage; wild with pain.

undisciplined, unruly, or lawless: a gang of wild boys.

unrestrained, untrammeled, or unbridled: wild enthusiasm.

disregardful of moral restraints as to pleasurable indulgence: He repented his wild youth.

unrestrained by reason or prudence: wild schemes.

amazing or incredible: Isn't that wild about Bill getting booted out of the club?

disorderly or disheveled: wild hair.

wide of the mark: He scored on a wild throw.

Informal. intensely eager or enthusiastic: wild to get started; wild about the new styles.

Cards. (of a card) having its value decided by the wishes of the players.

Metallurgy. (of molten metal) generating large amounts of gas during cooling, so as to cause violent bubbling.

adverb

in a wild manner; wildly.

noun

Often wilds. an uncultivated, uninhabited, or desolate region or tract; waste; wilderness; desert: a cabin in the wild; a safari to the wilds of Africa.

verb (used with object), wild·ed, wild·ing.

to travel around as a group, attacking or assaulting (people) in a random and violent way: The man was wilded and left for dead.

Nearby words

wilbur, richard, wilburite, wilco, wilcox, wilcoxon test, wild, wild about, be, wild apricot, wild bean, wild bergamot, wild bleeding-heart

Idioms

blow wild, (of an oil or gas well) to spout in an uncontrolled way, as in a blowout.Compare blowout(def 4).

in the wild,

in a natural state or in the wilderness.
in the real world; in real life:language learning in the classroom and in the wild.

run wild,

to grow unchecked: The rambler roses are running wild.
to show lack of restraint or control: Those children are allowed to run wild.

Origin of wild

before 900; Middle English, Old English wilde; cognate with Dutch, German wild, Old Norse villr, Swedish vild, Gothic wiltheis

SYNONYMS FOR wild

1 undomesticated, untamed, unbroken; ferocious.

4 barbarian, savage.

5 tempestuous, stormy, frenzied, turbulent.

6 boisterous.

7 insane.

9 self-willed, riotous, unrestrained, wayward.

10 uncontrollable.

12 reckless, rash, extravagant, impracticable.

13 grotesque, bizarre, strange, fanciful.

14 unkempt.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR wild ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR wild

1 tame.

SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR wild ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

wild·ly, adverbwild·ness, nounhalf-wild, adjectivehalf-wild·ly, adverb

half-wild·ness, nouno·ver·wild, adjectiveo·ver·wild·ly, adverbo·ver·wild·ness, nounsem·i·wild, adjectivesem·i·wild·ly, adverbsem·i·wild·ness, nounun·wild, adjectiveun·wild·ly, adverbun·wild·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for wildly

This is a Hollywood director at the height of his powers creating original, wildly ambitious epics.
Oscars 2015: The Daily Beast’s Picks, From Scarlett Johansson to ‘Boyhood’|Marlow Stern|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Coca-Cola was a wildly popular drink and hangover remedy because, well, it contained cocaine.
History's Craziest Hangover Cures|Justin Jones|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
EatWith—the latest in a parade of wildly popular Israeli startups—can help.
The Airbnb of Home-Cooked Meals|Itay Hod|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He has gone into the food business and has been wildly successful in it.
The Stacks: The Eyes of Winter: Paul Newman at 70|Peter Richmond|October 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST

In the wildly popular HBO show Game of Thrones, blood, like sex, is currency.
Sex, Blood and Maroon 5: Pop Culture’s Wounds Run Deep|Lizzie Crocker|October 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Believing this statement, the Kurds wildly flew into the face of the big guns and many thousand were slain.
Modern Persia|Mooshie G. Daniel
I confess I prefer Laforgue, who at his most cryptic is never so wildly tantalising as Rimbaud.
Ivory Apes and Peacocks|James Huneker
Wildly praying that this might be so, George leaped from the train at Paltley Hill; went rushing to the hut.
Once Aboard The Lugger|Arthur Stuart-Menteth Hutchinson
Perhaps not so strange, since one may know how wildly that poor devil had been thinking of her!
The Beautiful Lady|Booth Tarkington
I have never loved you so wildly—though I have always longed for you.
Love's Pilgrimage|Upton Sinclair

British Dictionary definitions for wildly (1 of 2)

Wild

/ (waɪld) /

noun

Jonathan. ?1682–1725, British criminal, who organized a network of thieves, highwaymen, etc, while also working as an informer: said to have sent over a hundred men to the gallows before being hanged himself

British Dictionary definitions for wildly (2 of 2)

wild

/ (waɪld) /

adjective

(of animals) living independently of man; not domesticated or tame

(of plants) growing in a natural state; not cultivated

uninhabited or uncultivated; desolatea wild stretch of land

living in a savage or uncivilized waywild tribes

lacking restraintwild merriment

of great violence or intensitya wild storm

disorderly or chaoticwild thoughts; wild talk

dishevelled; untidywild hair

in a state of extreme emotional intensitywild with anger

recklesswild speculations

not calculated; randoma wild guess

unconventional; fantastic; crazywild friends

(postpositive foll by about) informal intensely enthusiastic or excited

(of a card, such as a joker or deuce in some games) able to be given any value the holder pleasesjacks are wild

wild and woolly

rough; untamed; barbarous
(of theories, plans, etc) not fully thought out

adverb

in a wild manner

run wild

to grow without cultivation or care
to behave without restraint

noun

(often plural) a desolate, uncultivated, or uninhabited region

the wild

a free natural state of living
the wilderness

Derived Formswildish, adjectivewildly, adverbwildness, noun

Word Origin for wild

Old English wilde; related to Old Saxon, Old High German wildi, Old Norse villr, Gothic wiltheis

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

Word Origin and History for wildly (1 of 2)

wild

"to run wild," Old English awildian (see wild (adj.)). Wilding in the teen gang sense first recorded 1989.

Word Origin and History for wildly (1 of 2)

wild

adj.

Old English wilde "in the natural state, uncultivated, undomesticated," from Proto-Germanic *wilthijaz (cf. Old Saxon wildi, Old Norse villr, Old Frisian wilde, Dutch wild, Old High German wildi, German wild, Gothic wilþeis "wild," German Wild (n.) "game"), probably from PIE *ghwelt- (cf. Welsh gwyllt "untamed"), related to the base of Latin ferus (see fierce).

Ursula ... hath bin at all the Salsbury rasis, dancing like wild with Mr Clarks. [letter, 1674]

Meaning "sexually dissolute, loose" is attested from mid-13c. U.S. slang sense of "exciting, excellent" is recorded from 1955. The noun meaning "uncultivated or desolate region" is first attested 1590s in the wilds. Baseball wild pitch is recorded from 1867. Wildest dreams first attested 1961 (in Carson McCullers). Wild West first recorded 1849. Wild Turkey brand of whiskey (Austin Nichols Co.) in use from 1942.

Idioms and Phrases with wildly

wild

In addition to the idioms beginning with wild

wild about, be
wild card
wild goose chase
wild horses couldn't drag me
wild oats
wild pitch

also see:

go hog wild
go wilding
run amok (wild)
sow one's wild oats

wild

adjective, wild·er, wild·est.

adverb

noun

verb (used with object), wild·ed, wild·ing.

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of wild

Examples from the Web for wildly

British Dictionary definitions for wildly (1 of 2)

Wild

noun

British Dictionary definitions for wildly (2 of 2)

wild

adjective

adverb

noun

Word Origin for wild

Word Origin and History for wildly (1 of 2)

wild

Word Origin and History for wildly (1 of 2)

wild

Idioms and Phrases with wildly

wild