| English Dictionary |
WILD
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
| IPA (US): |  |
Dictionary entry overview: What does wild mean?
• WILD (noun)
The noun WILD has 2 senses:
1. a wild primitive state untouched by civilization
2. a wild and uninhabited area left in its natural condition
Familiarity information: WILD used as a noun is rare.
• WILD (adjective)
The adjective WILD has 13 senses:
1. marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
2. in a natural state; not tamed or domesticated or cultivated
3. in a state of extreme emotion
4. deviating widely from an intended course
5. (of colors or sounds) intensely vivid or loud
6. without a basis in reason or fact
7. talking or behaving irrationally
8. involving risk or danger
9. fanciful and unrealistic; foolish
10. located in a dismal or remote area; desolate
11. intensely enthusiastic about or preoccupied with
12. without civilizing influences
13. (of the elements) as if showing violent anger
Familiarity information: WILD used as an adjective is familiar.
• WILD (adverb)
The adverb WILD has 2 senses:
1. in an uncontrolled and rampant manner
2. in a wild or undomesticated manner
Familiarity information: WILD used as an adverb is rare.
Dictionary entry details
Sense 1
Meaning:
A wild primitive state untouched by civilization
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Synonyms:
natural state; state of nature; wild
Context example:
they collected mushrooms in the wild
Hypernyms ("wild" is a kind of...):
state (the way something is with respect to its main attributes)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "wild"):
crudeness; crudity; primitiveness; primitivism; rudeness (a wild or unrefined state)
Derivation:
wild (without civilizing influences)
wild (in a natural state; not tamed or domesticated or cultivated)
Sense 2
Meaning:
A wild and uninhabited area left in its natural condition
Classified under:
Nouns denoting spatial position
Synonyms:
wild; wilderness
Context example:
it was a wilderness preserved for the hawks and mountaineers
Hypernyms ("wild" is a kind of...):
geographic area; geographic region; geographical area; geographical region (a demarcated area of the Earth)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "wild"):
barren; waste; wasteland (an uninhabited wilderness that is worthless for cultivation)
bush (a large wilderness area)
frontier (a wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country)
Derivation:
wild (located in a dismal or remote area; desolate)
| Declension: comparative and superlative |
Superlative: wildest
Sense 1
Meaning:
Marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
Context example:
wild parties
Similar:
chaotic; disorderly (completely unordered and unpredictable and confusing)
delirious; excited; frantic; mad; unrestrained (marked by uncontrolled excitement or emotion)
frenzied; manic (affected with or marked by frenzy or mania uncontrolled by reason)
unsubdued (not brought under control)
Also:
unquiet (characterized by unrest or disorder)
Antonym:
tame (very restrained or quiet)
Derivation:
wildness (an unruly disposition to do as one pleases)
Sense 2
Meaning:
In a natural state; not tamed or domesticated or cultivated
Synonyms:
untamed; wild
Context example:
edible wild plants
Similar:
feral; ferine; savage (wild and menacing)
semi-wild (partially wild)
unbroken (not subdued or trained for service or use)
undomesticated (not domesticated)
Also:
intractable (not tractable; difficult to manage or mold)
Attribute:
wildness (an intractably barbarous or uncultivated state of nature)
Antonym:
tame (brought from wildness into a domesticated state)
Derivation:
wild (a wild primitive state untouched by civilization)
wilderness (a wild and uninhabited area left in its natural condition)
Sense 3
Meaning:
In a state of extreme emotion
Context example:
wild with grief
Similar:
passionate (having or expressing strong emotions)
Derivation:
wildness (a feeling of extreme emotional intensity)
Sense 4
Meaning:
Deviating widely from an intended course
Context example:
he threw a wild pitch
Similar:
uncontrolled (not being under control; out of control)
Sense 5
Meaning:
(of colors or sounds) intensely vivid or loud
Synonyms:
violent; wild
Context example:
wild shouts
Similar:
intense (possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree)
Derivation:
wildness (the property of being wild or turbulent)
Sense 6
Meaning:
Without a basis in reason or fact
Synonyms:
baseless; groundless; idle; unfounded; unwarranted; wild
Context example:
unwarranted jealousy
Similar:
unsupported (not sustained or maintained by nonmaterial aid)
Sense 7
Meaning:
Talking or behaving irrationally
Synonyms:
raving mad; wild
Context example:
a raving lunatic
Similar:
insane (afflicted with or characteristic of mental derangement)
Sense 8
Meaning:
Involving risk or danger
Synonyms:
Context example:
a wild financial scheme
Similar:
dangerous; unsafe (involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm)
Sense 9
Meaning:
Fanciful and unrealistic; foolish
Synonyms:
fantastic; wild
Context example:
a fantastic idea of his own importance
Similar:
unrealistic (not realistic)
Sense 10
Meaning:
Located in a dismal or remote area; desolate
Synonyms:
godforsaken; waste; wild
Context example:
waste places
Similar:
inhospitable (unfavorable to life or growth)
Derivation:
wild; wilderness (a wild and uninhabited area left in its natural condition)
Sense 11
Meaning:
Intensely enthusiastic about or preoccupied with
Synonyms:
Context example:
gaga over the rock group's new album
Similar:
enthusiastic (having or showing great excitement and interest)
Domain usage:
colloquialism (a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech)
Sense 12
Meaning:
Without civilizing influences
Synonyms:
barbarian; barbaric; savage; uncivilised; uncivilized; wild
Context example:
wild tribes
Similar:
noncivilised; noncivilized (not having a high state of culture and social development)
Derivation:
wild (a wild primitive state untouched by civilization)
wildness (an intractably barbarous or uncultivated state of nature)
Sense 13
Meaning:
(of the elements) as if showing violent anger
Synonyms:
angry; furious; raging; tempestuous; wild
Context example:
the raging sea
Similar:
stormy ((especially of weather) affected or characterized by storms or commotion)
Derivation:
wildness (the property of being wild or turbulent)
Sense 1
Meaning:
In an uncontrolled and rampant manner
Synonyms:
rampantly; wild
Context example:
weeds grew rampantly around here
Sense 2
Meaning:
In a wild or undomesticated manner
Context example:
roaming wild
Pertainym:
wild (in a natural state; not tamed or domesticated or cultivated)
Context examples
Wilder’s bicycle was leaning against the wall beside it.
(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
Wait a few days after November 20, the official day Mercury goes direct, for Mercury is at his wildest on the start and end dates of his retrograde.
(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)
The wild man turned back, took him up, set him on his shoulder, and went with hasty steps into the forest.
(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)
My haggard and wild appearance awoke intense alarm, but I answered no question, scarcely did I speak.
(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)
You know as well as I do that your cousin Maldon would be dragged at the heels of any number of wild horses—why should I confine myself to four!
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
When I found that I was a prisoner a sort of wild feeling came over me.
(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)
But you've been wild to go, and I promised you should when you got through college.
(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)
But the men are all wild after Miss Elliot.
(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)
“This is a very strange tale, Poole; this is rather a wild tale my man,” said Mr. Utterson, biting his finger.
(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)
Wild horses wouldn't draw it from you?
(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)
| Learn English with... Proverbs |
"If you start on a journey, you will also cross plains, mountains and stones." (Albanian proverb)
"If a poor man ate it, they would say it was because of his stupidity." (Arabic proverb)
"A good start is half the job done." (Dutch proverb)