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, 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 wildness

I hid out for weeks in my wilderness, now just a small vulnerable island of wildness, but at the time it felt huge.
American Wilderness Faces the Firing Squad|Doug Peacock|July 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ybarra had also pondered the allure of this kind of wildness.
Michael Ybarra’s Death Underscores the Allure and Dangers of Solo Climbing|Scott C. Johnson|July 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Even in the middle of a big urban area, the river valleys had a wildness that reminded him of home in Alabama.
Danger Stalks Lucas Davenport|Daily Beast Promotions|May 11, 2009|DAILY BEAST
I was sick of his lateness and his wildness and sick of all that pain.
A Writer's Secret Life|Susan Cheever|October 8, 2008|DAILY BEAST

When coming on, it may easily be known by an uneasy restlessness and a wildness of the eyes.
The Book of Cats|Charles H. Ross
She had never entirely outgrown the wildness of surprise which this always brought to her.
The Brimming Cup|Dorothy Canfield Fisher
The wildness of his joy, the strange strength and power of his kisses, utterly changed her.
The Mysterious Rider|Zane Grey
Very little of any kind of wildness was there about the Misses Braid.
The Golden Scarecrow|Hugh Walpole
Octavia was alarmed at the wildness of his look, but the fresh air had already revived him.
Darkness and Dawn|Frederic W. Farrar

British Dictionary definitions for wildness (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 wildness (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 Forms

wildish, 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

Idioms and Phrases with wildness

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