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
Recent Examples on the WebChristopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2024
She is considered the first orca in history to successfully rejoin a wild population after human intervention.
—Sara Smart, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
Both boats have fire pits, video walls, a basketball court and wild chandeliers, but this time Khan’s added an underwater Nemo lounge, a duplex owner’s suite, and a retro neon dance floor.
—Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2024
But humans don’t witness eclipses alone—some might go outside with their dogs, or watch the spectacle alongside wild birds, crickets, frogs or ants.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024
This smoothie is made with bananas, wild blueberries, apple blueberry juice blend, white grape lemon juice blend, protein blend, and blue spirulina (a nutrient-dense superfood made from blue-green algae).
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 5 Apr. 2024
The trial will begin with jury selection, a potentially arduous task given the publicity surrounding the case and Trump's wild unpopularity in heavily Democratic Manhattan.
—Compiled Bydemocrat-Gazette Stafffrom Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 26 Mar. 2024
As the Niger EPs demonstrate, a field recorder pointed in the general direction of a band in the middle of a wild party can capture a lot of life.
—Eric Torres, Pitchfork, 26 Mar. 2024
Aggies forward Andersson Garcia hit a fadeaway three-point shot as time expired to level the score and send the game to overtime, sparking wild scenes of celebration.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024
Mia Barzilay Freund, Vogue, 29 Mar. 2024
The stage was set for the Fourth, whose five movements add up to a summa of Bartók’s art, by turns tenaciously labored, sinuously swirling, nocturnally eerie, pizzicato-punchy, and flat-out wild.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
Lollapalooza has elevated its commitment to protecting the planet through a new global partnership with Re:wild, a nonprofit that has protected more than 400 million acres of wild lands around the world, benefitting more than 30,000 species.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024
Setting The Searcher and The Hunter far from Dublin, out among the boggy wilds and muddy farms of Ireland’s west coast, pulls at a different aspect of the country’s economic decline.
—Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2024
These slots come with in-game bonus features such as free spins, multipliers, wilds and scatters.
—Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024
In August, Seaquarium received backlash after Lolita the orca whale died of kidney failure days before she was supposed to be released back into this wild.
—Ayana Archie, NPR, 8 Mar. 2024
As seen in the trailer, shared exclusively with PEOPLE, preparations get a little wild from the start.
—Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024
Not long ago, visiting exotic animals in their habitats was the stuff of intrepid explorers who ventured weeks into remote wilds.
—Jennifer Kester, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
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
Adjective
These are wild anagrams for a stain on satin, giving material heft to ephemeral language.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2024
She is considered the first orca in history to successfully rejoin a wild population after human intervention.
—Sara Smart, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
Both boats have fire pits, video walls, a basketball court and wild chandeliers, but this time Khan’s added an underwater Nemo lounge, a duplex owner’s suite, and a retro neon dance floor.
—Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2024
But humans don’t witness eclipses alone—some might go outside with their dogs, or watch the spectacle alongside wild birds, crickets, frogs or ants.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024
This smoothie is made with bananas, wild blueberries, apple blueberry juice blend, white grape lemon juice blend, protein blend, and blue spirulina (a nutrient-dense superfood made from blue-green algae).
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 5 Apr. 2024
The trial will begin with jury selection, a potentially arduous task given the publicity surrounding the case and Trump's wild unpopularity in heavily Democratic Manhattan.
—Compiled Bydemocrat-Gazette Stafffrom Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 26 Mar. 2024
As the Niger EPs demonstrate, a field recorder pointed in the general direction of a band in the middle of a wild party can capture a lot of life.
—Eric Torres, Pitchfork, 26 Mar. 2024
Aggies forward Andersson Garcia hit a fadeaway three-point shot as time expired to level the score and send the game to overtime, sparking wild scenes of celebration.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024
Noun
The Judean wilds are full of others seeking clarity, plus a wicked merchant named Musa sent to test and torment the young ascetic from Galilee.
—Mia Barzilay Freund, Vogue, 29 Mar. 2024
The stage was set for the Fourth, whose five movements add up to a summa of Bartók’s art, by turns tenaciously labored, sinuously swirling, nocturnally eerie, pizzicato-punchy, and flat-out wild.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
Lollapalooza has elevated its commitment to protecting the planet through a new global partnership with Re:wild, a nonprofit that has protected more than 400 million acres of wild lands around the world, benefitting more than 30,000 species.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024
Setting The Searcher and The Hunter far from Dublin, out among the boggy wilds and muddy farms of Ireland’s west coast, pulls at a different aspect of the country’s economic decline.
—Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2024
These slots come with in-game bonus features such as free spins, multipliers, wilds and scatters.
—Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024
In August, Seaquarium received backlash after Lolita the orca whale died of kidney failure days before she was supposed to be released back into this wild.
—Ayana Archie, NPR, 8 Mar. 2024
As seen in the trailer, shared exclusively with PEOPLE, preparations get a little wild from the start.
—Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024
Not long ago, visiting exotic animals in their habitats was the stuff of intrepid explorers who ventured weeks into remote wilds.
—Jennifer Kester, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
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
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.
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 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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