Definition of wild
1a : living in a state of nature and not ordinarily tame or domesticated wild ducksb (1) : growing or produced without human aid or care wild honey (2) : related to or resembling a corresponding cultivated or domesticated organismc : of or relating to wild organisms the wild state
2a : not inhabited or cultivated wild landb : not amenable to human habitation or cultivation; also : desolate
3a (1) : not subject to restraint or regulation : uncontrolled; also : unruly (2) : emotionally overcome wild with grief; also : passionately eager or enthusiastic was wild to own a toy train — J. C. Furnasb : marked by turbulent agitation : stormy a wild nightc : going beyond normal or conventional bounds : fantastic wild ideas; also : sensationald : indicative of strong passion, desire, or emotion a wild gleam of delight in his eyes — Irish Digest
4 : uncivilized, barbaric
5 : characteristic of, appropriate to, or expressive of wilderness, wildlife, or a simple or uncivilized society
6a : deviating from the intended or expected course wild spelling — C. W. Cunnington the throw was wild; also : tending to throw inaccurately a wild pitcherb : having no basis in known or surmised fact a wild guess
7 of a playing card : able to represent any card designated by the holder
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Examples of wild in a Sentence
wild places high in the mountains
I felt a wild rage.
He was wild with anger.
The crowd went wild when the band took the stage.
Recent Examples of wild from the Web
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There’s a wild fig tree near Echo Caves in South Africa that has a root system that plunges some 400 feet below ground.
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There’s J. Christian Adams, a former DOJ official who’s been a prolific proponent of wild theories about voter fraud.
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And Tiffany Haddish plays Dina, the wild woman of the group, who is at the center of most of the movie’s comedy.
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Though only three games out of the second wild-card entry into the postseason, the Rangers are hardly trending the right way.
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Then, Pivetta threw two wild pitches that allowed Yelich to score.
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There will also be an emphasis on the application of technology that will allow monitoring and data analysis related to wild tiger populations.
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But Sunday's downpour tested their ability to deal with a wet-and-wild mini-crisis --and handle impatient concertgoers taking shelter -- as Sloss Fest attempted to cement its reputation as the major music festival in Birmingham.
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Recent flavors have included wild blueberry with vodka and passion fruit with tequila.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wild.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of wild
Middle English wilde, from Old English; akin to Old High German wildi wild, Welsh gwyllt
Other Ecology Terms
wild
Definition of wild
1 : a sparsely inhabited or uncultivated region or tract : wilderness
2 : a wild, free, or natural state or existence
Examples of wild in a Sentence
They hiked through the wilds of Maine.
The plants were collected from the wild.
They will return the animal to the wild when it is healthy.
Could these animals survive in the wild?
I've only seen that animal in a zoo, never in the wild.
Recent Examples of wild from the Web
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The exploit was dumped into the wild last month in a trove of alleged NSA tools by the Shadow Brokers hacking group.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wild.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of wild
13th century
Other Ecology Terms
wild
Definition of wild
: in a wild manner: such asa : without regulation or control plants that grow wildb : off an intended or expected course
Examples of wild in a Sentence
These plants grow wild on the roadside.
as soon as the doors opened, early-morning bargain hunters ran wild through the store
First Known Use of wild
circa 1562
WILD Defined for English Language Learners
wild
playDefinition of wild for English Language Learners
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of an animal : living in nature without human control or care : not tame
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of a plant : growing or produced in nature : not grown or farmed by people
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of land : not changed by people : not settled or developed
wild
Definition of wild for English Language Learners
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the wilds : a large area of land where people do not live and where plants, trees, etc., grow freely
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the wild : a wild, free, or natural place, state, or existence
wild
Definition of wild for English Language Learners
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: without being controlled
WILD Defined for Kids
Definition of wild for Students
wilder
;wildest
1 : living in a state of nature and not under human control and care : not tame wild animals
2 : growing or produced in nature : not cultivated by people wild honey wild grapes
3 : not civilized : savage They sought out wild places in the mountains.
4 : not kept under control : not restrained wild rage a wild party
5 : made without knowledge a wild guess
6 : done without accuracy a wild throw
7 : going beyond what is usual wild colors
8 : enthusiastic wild applause
wildly
adverbwildness
nounLearn More about wild
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for wild Spanish Central: Translation of wild Nglish: Translation of wild for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of wild for Arabic speakers
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