wilder

verb

wil·​der ˈwil-dər 

wildered; wildering; wilders

transitive verb

1

archaic : to lead astray

2

archaic : bewilder, perplex

intransitive verb

archaic : to move at random : wander

wilderment

ˈwil-dər-mənt 

noun archaic

Examples of wilder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For something even wilder, head to Moreton Island, a national park of towering sand dunes and quiet beaches. —Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 26 July 2025

In the first half of the race, Cavalieri battled to stay ahead of Walker Spinrad, a recent Tekno signee whose driving grew wilder as his veteran competitor hit his stride. —William Liang, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025

The crack of the rifle made the dogs wilder than ever. —Carl T. Johnson, Outdoor Life, 2 July 2025

Other Insects That Use Toilets Ants may have toilets, but termites have even wilder ways of dealing with their wastes. —Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 14 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably irregular from wilderness

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for wilder

• milder
• schilder

Biographical Definition

Wilder 1 of 3

biographical name (1)

Wil·​der ˈwī(-ə)l-dər 

Billy 1906–2002 born Samuel Wilder American (Polish-born) filmmaker

Wilder

2 of 3

biographical name (2)

Laura Ingalls 1867–1957 née Laura Ingalls American author

Wilder

3 of 3

biographical name (3)

Thornton Niven 1897–1975 American author