1
a
: living in a state of nature and not ordinarily tame or domesticated
wild ducks
b(1)
: growing or produced without human aid or care
wild honey
(2)
: related to or resembling a corresponding cultivated or domesticated organism
c
: of or relating to wild organisms
the wild state
2
a
: not inhabited or cultivated
wild land
b
: not amenable to human habitation or cultivation
also
: desolate
3
a(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. Furnas
J. C. Furnas
b
: marked by turbulent agitation : stormy
a wild night
c
: going beyond normal or conventional bounds : fantastic
wild ideas
also
: sensational
d
: indicative of strong passion, desire, or emotion
a wild gleam of delight in his eyes—Irish Digest
Irish Digest4
5
: characteristic of, appropriate to, or expressive of wilderness, wildlife, or a simple or uncivilized society
6
a
: deviating from the intended or expected course
wild spelling—C. W. Cunnington
C. W. Cunningtonthe throw was wild
also
: tending to throw inaccurately
a wild pitcher
b
: 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
1
: a sparsely inhabited or uncultivated region or tract : wilderness
2
: a wild, free, or natural state or existence
: in a wild manner: such as
a
: without regulation or control
plants that grow wild
b
: off an intended or expected course
Synonyms
Examples of wild in a Sentence
Adjective
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.
Noun
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.
Adverb
These plants grow wild on the roadside.
as soon as the doors opened, early-morning bargain hunters ran wild through the store
See More
Recent Examples on the WebBill Monroe, oregonlive, 8 Sep. 2023
There is, of course, the more wild side to Burning Man that the festival has become well-known for: the parties, drugs, music and oversized art installations.
—Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 8 Sep. 2023
This is a pretty wild idea, that our universe could have been formed from the quantum chaos within another universe’s black hole.
—Popular Mechanics, 8 Sep. 2023
In Alaska, the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge, managed by Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service, is a wild, roadless landscape sweeping across more than 8 million acres of Alaska’s northeastern interior.
—Alexandra Heal, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Sep. 2023
The Blue Oval even built a dedicated rally course at its Michigan proving ground, giving the engineers and technicians working on the Mach-E Rally a proper place to tame this wild horse.
—Greg S. Fink, Car and Driver, 7 Sep. 2023
Some take us to wild places in nature, others to wild worlds born in artists’ imaginations.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2023
While the strategy has so far been mostly used to protect whole ecosystems, such as forests and rivers, advocates of wild animals are starting to deploy it as well, hailing it as an essential tool to combat the biodiversity crisis.
—Teresa Tomassoni, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2023
Most of these pets contract rabies from contact with wild animals.
—Abigail Celaya, The Arizona Republic, 26 Aug. 2023
Karthika Gupta, Robb Report, 7 Sep. 2023
Deer researchers from around the country have recorded a handful of wild does living anywhere from 15 to 19 years and at least one buck making it to 17.
—Scott Bestul, Field & Stream, 31 Aug. 2023
That actually was kind of early — that wasn’t even that wild!
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 23 Aug. 2023
Without the technical regulation restrictions from a sanctioning body, the GTD's road-legal status has allowed Ford to go bucking-bronco wild.
—Austin Irwin, Car and Driver, 18 Aug. 2023
In October 2021, The Oscar winner and environmentalist, along with Forest Whitaker and Djimon Hounsou, joined Prince Harry, 38, and leading conservationists in calling for an immediate suspension on oil and gas drilling in Africa's Okavango River Basin, according to a press release from Re:wild.
—Alexis Jones, Peoplemag, 2 July 2023
Ford is aware: Frank, now 74 and reporting from the political wilds of 2020, is diminished too.
—Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2023
Set in the southern wilds of New Zealand, the novel follows a group of local guerrilla gardeners on a collision course with a cynical and conniving American billionaire.
—Erin Douglass, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 June 2023
The news, revealed Thursday by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, describes the second time such a mammal has been spotted in the California wild in nearly 100 years.
—Dennis Romero, NBC News, 6 June 2023
Amy Drew Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, 14 Aug. 2020
Our first stop is in a wild-looking stretch 200 yards south of the railroad tracks and State Street.
—Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2023
Salmon from the North Pacific Ocean that is wild-caught, high in quality protein, and high in omega-3 long-chain fatty acids including EPA and DHA.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 19 Oct. 2022
Just 18 P900s will be built, and the wild-looking hypercar will cost $3 million.
—Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 30 Nov. 2022
Even their currently available salmon was wild-caught off central California.
—Nicole Sours Larson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Nov. 2022
Five treatment rooms house regionally inspired treatments and products which feature natural, bloom-to-bottle ingredients, some of which have been grown or wild-harvested on-site.
—Yola Robert, Forbes, 26 May 2022
During the Depression, people ate wild-growing weeds such as dandelions out of necessity.
—Gabriel Popkin, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2022
Advocates encourage businesses to use local, seasonal, and wild-grown ingredients, and tap into ancestral farming and foraging techniques.
—Zinara Rathnayake, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Aug. 2022
See More
Adjective
The clip rate for hatchery coho in the estuary has been lower than predicted, raising anglers’ fears about to releasing potentially wild fish and possibly dooming them, especially those that bleed from even barbless hooks.
—Bill Monroe, oregonlive, 8 Sep. 2023
There is, of course, the more wild side to Burning Man that the festival has become well-known for: the parties, drugs, music and oversized art installations.
—Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 8 Sep. 2023
This is a pretty wild idea, that our universe could have been formed from the quantum chaos within another universe’s black hole.
—Popular Mechanics, 8 Sep. 2023
In Alaska, the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge, managed by Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service, is a wild, roadless landscape sweeping across more than 8 million acres of Alaska’s northeastern interior.
—Alexandra Heal, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Sep. 2023
The Blue Oval even built a dedicated rally course at its Michigan proving ground, giving the engineers and technicians working on the Mach-E Rally a proper place to tame this wild horse.
—Greg S. Fink, Car and Driver, 7 Sep. 2023
Some take us to wild places in nature, others to wild worlds born in artists’ imaginations.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2023
While the strategy has so far been mostly used to protect whole ecosystems, such as forests and rivers, advocates of wild animals are starting to deploy it as well, hailing it as an essential tool to combat the biodiversity crisis.
—Teresa Tomassoni, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2023
Most of these pets contract rabies from contact with wild animals.
—Abigail Celaya, The Arizona Republic, 26 Aug. 2023
Noun
For a bird’s eye view of the landscape, opt for a hot air balloon flight or a scenic flight across the great African wild.
—Karthika Gupta, Robb Report, 7 Sep. 2023
Deer researchers from around the country have recorded a handful of wild does living anywhere from 15 to 19 years and at least one buck making it to 17.
—Scott Bestul, Field & Stream, 31 Aug. 2023
That actually was kind of early — that wasn’t even that wild!
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 23 Aug. 2023
Without the technical regulation restrictions from a sanctioning body, the GTD's road-legal status has allowed Ford to go bucking-bronco wild.
—Austin Irwin, Car and Driver, 18 Aug. 2023
In October 2021, The Oscar winner and environmentalist, along with Forest Whitaker and Djimon Hounsou, joined Prince Harry, 38, and leading conservationists in calling for an immediate suspension on oil and gas drilling in Africa's Okavango River Basin, according to a press release from Re:wild.
—Alexis Jones, Peoplemag, 2 July 2023
Ford is aware: Frank, now 74 and reporting from the political wilds of 2020, is diminished too.
—Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2023
Set in the southern wilds of New Zealand, the novel follows a group of local guerrilla gardeners on a collision course with a cynical and conniving American billionaire.
—Erin Douglass, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 June 2023
The news, revealed Thursday by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, describes the second time such a mammal has been spotted in the California wild in nearly 100 years.
—Dennis Romero, NBC News, 6 June 2023
Adverb
All of it wild-caught.
—Amy Drew Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, 14 Aug. 2020
Our first stop is in a wild-looking stretch 200 yards south of the railroad tracks and State Street.
—Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2023
Salmon from the North Pacific Ocean that is wild-caught, high in quality protein, and high in omega-3 long-chain fatty acids including EPA and DHA.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 19 Oct. 2022
Just 18 P900s will be built, and the wild-looking hypercar will cost $3 million.
—Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 30 Nov. 2022
Even their currently available salmon was wild-caught off central California.
—Nicole Sours Larson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Nov. 2022
Five treatment rooms house regionally inspired treatments and products which feature natural, bloom-to-bottle ingredients, some of which have been grown or wild-harvested on-site.
—Yola Robert, Forbes, 26 May 2022
During the Depression, people ate wild-growing weeds such as dandelions out of necessity.
—Gabriel Popkin, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2022
Advocates encourage businesses to use local, seasonal, and wild-grown ingredients, and tap into ancestral farming and foraging techniques.
—Zinara Rathnayake, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Aug. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wild.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English wilde, from Old English; akin to Old High German wildi wild, Welsh gwyllt
First Known Use
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adverb
circa 1562, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of wild was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing wild
Articles Related to wild
Dictionary Entries Near wild
Cite this Entry
“Wild.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wild. Accessed 24 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
wild
1 of 3 adjective1
a
: living in a state of nature and not under human control and care
wild animals
b
: growing or produced without human aid and care
wild honey
c
: of or relating to wild organisms
the wild state
2
: not inhabited or cultivated
wild land
3
a
: not being under control
wild rage
a wild young stallion
b
: marked by disturbance and confusion
a wild night
c
: going beyond what is usual : fantastic
wild colors
wild ideas
4
: not civilized : savage
5
: being far off the intended course
a wild pitch
6
: having no basis in fact
a wild guess
7
: able to represent any card designated by the holder
poker with deuces wild
wildly
adverb
ˈwī(ə)l-(d)lē
wild
2 of 3 nounwild
3 of 3 adverb1
: in a wild manner : wildly
2
: without rules or control
running wild
More from Merriam-Webster on wild
Nglish: Translation of wild for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of wild for Arabic Speakers
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