wild

adjective

\ ˈwī(-ə)ld

Definition of wild

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : 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

2a : not inhabited or cultivated wild land

b : 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. 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

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 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

wild

noun

Definition of wild (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : a sparsely inhabited or uncultivated region or tract : wilderness

2 : a wild, free, or natural state or existence

wild

adverb

Definition of wild (Entry 3 of 3)

: in a wild manner: such as

a : without regulation or control plants that grow wild

b : off an intended or expected course

Other Words from wild Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about wild

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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

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Villar's wild fifth Villar had two hits and an RBI to help the Orioles' cause, but had the quintessential all-action inning after his fifth-inning single to center field. — Jon Meoli, baltimoresun.com, "Orioles, Dylan Bundy top Blue Jays, 4-1, as Chris Davis drives in three," 6 July 2019 Seriously, the cameo at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home is wild. — Rachel Paige, refinery29.com, "Spider-Man: Far From Home," 5 July 2019 The neighborhood has problems with snakes, alligators and wild hogs coming through, says Almarie Carter, who lives nearby. — Rebecca Santana, SFChronicle.com, "Relic of Katrina’s wrath in New Orleans may soon meet the wrecking ball," 5 July 2019 To take advantage of the healthful effects, mix an ounce or two of canned wild salmon with a small handful of baby spinach and a tablespoon of olive tapenade. — Cynthia Sass, Mph, Health.com, "7 Healthy Late-Night Snacks," 3 July 2019 Named after the wormwood herb that grew wild there, the town had a modest population, a river that ran clear, and open land for camping and star-gazing. — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, "Nikita Khrushchev’s Son Watched his Father Lose the Space Race. 50 Years After the Moon Landing, He Holds No Grudge," 2 July 2019 So far it’s the fish & chips, made with wild Alaskan pollock, and the lobster roll. — Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, "Anchors seafood restaurant expands to San Jose’s Willow Glen," 1 July 2019 What's really wild, is that the English producer doesn't even remember making parts of it. — Billboard Staff, Billboard, "The 32 Best Dance Songs of 2019 (So Far): Staff Picks," 27 June 2019 To celebrate a breath-taking score against Greece, the ever-entertaining Argentine charged at pitch-side cameras as his wild eyes popped and his gaping mouth roared. — SI.com, "50 of the Biggest Controversies in Football History," 21 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Enter Nathan Myhrvold, a cook, author and mad scientist with a camera who approaches food photography like a National Geographic journalist capturing animals in the wild. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Modernist Cuisine Gallery opens in La Jolla," 4 July 2019 Females can lay nearly 80 eggs per year, and the animals can live up to 10 years in the wild. — Sophie Lewis, CBS News, "Invasive iguanas are wreaking havoc in Florida. Now authorities are urging locals to kill them.," 3 July 2019 The other great theme of the Jungle Books is that of personal growth through manly, stressful adventure in the wild. — Charles Mcgrath, The New Yorker, "Rudyard Kipling in America," 1 July 2019 While not the majority, that’s certainly a large chunk of the 26 billion smart things devices out in the wild. — Xavier Harding, Fortune, "'Silex' Malware Renders Internet-of-Things Devices Useless. Here's How to Prevent It," 26 June 2019 The eastern black rhino is in critical danger of extinction with about 1,000 remaining in the wild, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. — Washington Post, "5 endangered black rhinos relocated from Europe to Rwanda," 25 June 2019 On June 18, a team aboard the research vessel Point Sur captured footage of a giant squid, Architeuthis dux, in the wild 100 miles from the New Orleans coast. — Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, "Scientists Spot a Giant Squid for the First Time in the U.S.," 24 June 2019 And 40 countries, 355 cities and more than 17,000 people later the results are in for their survey of civic honesty in the wild. — The Economist, "People are more honest than they think they are," 22 June 2019 The Singita brand is well-known for its conservation wildlife efforts, while also offering unparalleled glamour in the wild. — Paula Rogo, Essence, "EXCLUSIVE: Idris and Sabrina Elba Honeymooned In Safari Bliss At One Of The World's Best Hotels," 6 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

As expected, fans are going wild on Twitter, even cracking a few good-natured jokes along the way. — Tess Garcia, Teen Vogue, "Billie Eilish Dyed Her Roots Neon Green," 6 July 2019 Both the Badgers and Wolverines will be coming off of byes before this game, and if Wisconsin has identified its quarterback and running back Jonathan Taylor goes wild, an upset isn’t outside of the realm of possibility. — Joan Niesen, SI.com, "September Stumbling Blocks for 2019's College Football Playoff Hopefuls," 28 June 2019 This time, what some consider an extraterrestrial was caught on camera, and people on Facebook and Twitter are going wild analyzing it. — Taylor Mead, House Beautiful, "People Have All Kinds of Theories about this Video of an 'Alien' in Someone's Driveway," 10 June 2019 Shoot from the grassy patch out front or go wild from up in the adjacent parking garage. — Dewayne Bevil, orlandosentinel.com, "It’s National Selfie Day, so smile, Orlando," 21 June 2019 The news network went wild dedicating an hour and 40 minutes of programming to the allegations versus just four minutes 21 seconds to the Ellison scandal. — Fox News, "Scaramucci, Kirk sound off on Brennan, Cuomo," 18 Aug. 2018 Go wild: Kohl's Wild Theater is visiting the St. Francis Public Library, 4230 S. Nicholson Ave., St. Francis, at 1:30 p.m. July 19. — Hannah Kirby, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "5 things to do this week in the southern suburbs," 10 July 2018 Launch their own insurance company Fears of this possibility are running wild through the insurance industry. — Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, "4 ways Amazon-Berkshire-JPMorgan deal could shake up health care," 30 Jan. 2018 Colorado enters Tuesday’s game at Chicago vs. the Cubs hot off of a 9-1 homestand and back in the thick of the National League wild-card race. — Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, "Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story leading Rockies’ resurgent offense," 4 June 2019

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.