wallow Hear it!

wallow Definition

wal·low (wä′lō)

intransitive verb

  1. to roll about or lie relaxed, as in mud, dust or water
  2. to move heavily and clumsily; roll and pitch, as a ship
  3. to live or indulge oneself to an immoderate degree (in a specified thing, condition, etc.) to wallow in self-pity
  4. to surge or billow

Etymology: ME walwen < OE wealwian, to roll around < PGmc *walw- < IE *wolw- < base *wel- > walk

noun

  1. the act or an instance of wallowing
  2. ☆ a muddy or dusty place in which animals wallow
  3. ☆ a pit or depression produced by animals' wallowing

wallow Related Forms
wal′·lower noun
wallow Synonyms

wallow

v.

grovel, welter, flounder, lie in, move around in, roll about in, bathe in, toss, immerse, be immersed in, besmirch oneself.

wallow Usage Examples

Object

  • seal: Possibly visit vast penguin rookeries, land on beaches ruled by Antarctic fur seals or observe wallowing southern elephant seals.

Converse of object

  • enjoy: These two games were played in the same tournament, and Short is enjoying a nostalgic wallow in past glories.
  • have: Matt's birdwatching buddy, Daffyd, takes a closer look at an elephant seal, and the seals have a good wallow!

Adjective modifier

  • muddy: In hot weather, a muddy wallow is essential, allowing the pigs to cool off.
  • long: So I turned left and began the long wallow back along the forest edge.
  • nostalgic: This in itself isn't a problem, of course - a simple nostalgic wallow through the archives is always welcome.

Modifying Another Word

  • about: To me, it seemed like 4 episodes of the main characters wallowing about in self pity.
  • just: Or am I just wallowing in the stupid romantic image of fabulous failure?
  • still: Those still wallowing in the PC world may not be aware of a Macintosh application called iPhoto.
  • n't: Here's a story that clearly does n't wallow in its own seriousness.
  • not: Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.
  • now: Right now wallowing in self pity is better than sex.

Noun used with modifier

  • mud: Sewer passage, once a tremendous mud wallow is a very clean passageway now.

Preposition: in

  • self-pity: All of this might have held some people down, caused them to wallow away in self-pity.
  • mire: However, the time to hesitate is through, no time to wallow in the mire.
  • nostalgia: Tony Blair has remarked that his respect agenda is not meant to wallow in nostalgia for a lost golden age.
  • pity: I am determined not to wallow in self pity / I just wish I had my life back.
  • mud: This was of great appeal to Ruth, not having wallowed in mud for at least 48 hours.
  • misery: What better way to spend a holiday, then, than wallowing in the misery of others?

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • around: We saw about 5 sting rays wallowing around in the shallow water, looked amazing.
wallow Quotes

Mud! Mud! Glorious mud! Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood. So follow me, follow, Down to the hollow, And there let us wallow In glorious mud.

—Flanagan, Bud stage name of Robert Winthrop