wild Hear it!

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wild definition

wild (wīld)

adjective

  1. living or growing in its original, natural state and not normally domesticated or cultivated wild flowers, wild animals
  2. not lived in or cultivated; overgrown, waste, etc. wild land
  3. not civilized; savage a wild tribe
  4. not easily restrained or regulated; not controlled or controllable; unruly, rough, lawless, etc. wild children
  5. characterized by a lack of social or moral restraint; unbridled in pursuing pleasure; dissolute, orgiastic, etc. a wild rake, a wild party
  6. violently disturbed; turbulent; stormy a wild seacoast
  7. in a state of intense excitement; specif.,
    1. eager or enthusiastic, as with desire or anticipation wild with delight
    2. angered, frenzied, frantic, crazed, etc. wild with desperation
  8. in a state of disorder, disarrangement, confusion, etc. wild hair
  9. fantastically impractical; visionary a wild scheme
  10. showing a lack of sound judgment; reckless; imprudent a wild wager
  11. going wide of the mark aimed at; missing the target a wild swing in boxing
  12. Slang extraordinary; remarkable a wild success
  13. Card Games having any value specified by the holder: said of a card deuces, when wild in poker, may be counted as aces, kings, etc.

Etymology: ME wilde < OE, akin to Ger wild, prob. < IE base *wel-, shaggy hair, unkempt > wool, vole

adverb

in a wild manner; wildly; without aim or control to shoot wild

noun

a wilderness or wasteland

Related Forms:

wild Idioms

run wild

to grow, exist, or behave without control

the wild

the wilderness, nature, the out-of-doors, etc.

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:
wild Synonyms

wild

modif.

  1. Not controlled

    unrestrained, unmanageable, boisterous; see disorderly 1, unruly.

  2. Uncivilized

    barbarous, savage, undomesticated; see primitive 3.

  3. Not cultivated

    luxuriant, lush, exuberant, dense, excessive, desolate, waste, desert, weedy, untrimmed, impenetrable, uninhabited, native, natural, untouched, virgin, overgrown, uncultivated, untilled, uncared for, neglected, overrun, free, rampant, untamed.

  4. Undomesticated

    untamed, untrained, unbroken, not housebroken.

  5. Inaccurate

    erratic, off, unsound; see mistaken 1, wrong 2.

  6. Stormy

    disturbed, raging, storming; see turbulent.

  7. Excited

    hot, eager, avid; see excited.

  8. Dissolute

    unbridled, loose, licentious, profligate, orgiastic; see also lewd 2.

  9. Imprudent

    reckless, foolish, incautious; see careless 1, rash.

run wild

run out of control, rage, run riot, cut loose, rampage; see also escape.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

wild Usage Examples

Modifying Another Word

  • truly: Charnwood Lodge remains one of the last truly wild areas in the Forest.

Converse of object

  • explore: In contrast, you could explore the wilds of Exmoor National Park.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

  • drive: Angie Brown drove the crowd wild and got festival goers to their feet dancing under the beautiful sunshine.

Modifies a noun

  • boar: Despite numerous signs of wild boar, we failed to find any.

Used with adjective complement

  • grow: Around one hundred of these remarkable trees, ' living fossils ' , are known to be growing wild.
wild usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

wild quotes

A Walk on the Wild Side.

-Algren, Nelson

Now the great winds shorewards blow; Now the salt tides seawards flow; Now the wild white horses play, Champ and chafe and toss in the spray.

-Arnold, Matthew

   Yes! in the sea of life enisled, With echoing straits between us thrown, Dotting the shoreless watery wild, We mortal millions live alone.

-Arnold, Matthew

wild quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"wild." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/wild>

APA Style

wild. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/wild

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