1
as in reveling
to completely give (oneself) over to something (such as an emotion)
After being laid off, he spent much of his time wallowing in self-pity. They wallowed in all the indulgences provided by the resort.
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2
as in shuffling
to roll around in an ungainly manner
We saw a herd of cattle wallowing in the marsh.
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Recent Examples of wallowing
Recent polls show Villaraigosa, 73, wallowing at the bottom of the field, though none of the major Democratic candidates have an overwhelming edge.
—
Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Reveling or wallowing in either part of the game only slows the process.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
But no, Tommy will not be moved, wallowing in grief for his young daughter and tormented by the death of his brother Arthur, ostensibly a suicide.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2026
In a broader sense, your relationships can also keep you from wallowing in your struggles.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 19 Feb. 2026
Instead of wallowing in frustration, Burks took things into his own hands, tying a career-high with 23 points in helping the Knights to an 82-71 win over visiting TCU on Tuesday night.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2026
Now, Daphne is living with Petra’s ex Miles, both wallowing in their own breakup hell.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
The Bucks, meanwhile, are wallowing with the seventh-worst record in the NBA.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
Think of reliving moments at the Plaza Sundae from Home Alone 2 or wallowing in Churchill-era glamour at London’s Savoy Hotel.
—Alex Ledsom, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Reveling or wallowing in either part of the game only slows the process.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
But no, Tommy will not be moved, wallowing in grief for his young daughter and tormented by the death of his brother Arthur, ostensibly a suicide.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2026
In a broader sense, your relationships can also keep you from wallowing in your struggles.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 19 Feb. 2026
Instead of wallowing in frustration, Burks took things into his own hands, tying a career-high with 23 points in helping the Knights to an 82-71 win over visiting TCU on Tuesday night.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2026
Now, Daphne is living with Petra’s ex Miles, both wallowing in their own breakup hell.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
The Bucks, meanwhile, are wallowing with the seventh-worst record in the NBA.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
Think of reliving moments at the Plaza Sundae from Home Alone 2 or wallowing in Churchill-era glamour at London’s Savoy Hotel.
—Alex Ledsom, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wallowing
Verb
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Our friends converted their 400-person reception hall wedding into a spirited dance party at their home, with small groups of well-wishers, each small enough to fit into their bomb shelter, taking turns reveling.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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These chips spend most of their energy shuffling data between a memory unit and a processor.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Mar. 2026
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So what better way to cap all that off than closing out the Oscars — even if the clip played while the audience was shuffling out of the theater and calling their Ubers.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The elder Junod gave off mixed messages, abusing his long-suffering wife while indulging his gifted son.—
Hamilton Cain,
Time,
3 Mar. 2026
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There’s a conversation for Nebraska worth indulging this spring.—
Mitch Sherman,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Society is kind of swaying towards a different type of entertainment.—
Myrna Petlicki,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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Among the hundreds in attendance was 27-year-old Adrian Aviles, holding a large American flag swaying in the wind from a PVC pipe.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Both thrive in slightly acidic soil, love basking in full sun, and appreciate regular watering.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Apr. 2026
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But unlike the easily predictable radiation exposures from flying through the Van Allen Belts or basking in the background flux of galactic cosmic rays, the dose an astronaut gets from solar activity can vary enormously.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the poor quarters of New Delhi, households struggling to pay for gas fired up chulhas, old-school wood-burning stoves, and hoped their tinder supplies held.—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Lillibridge says the prices are piling onto an already struggling industry.—
Lana Zak,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wallowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wallowing. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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