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
But there’s no sense in wallowing in pro sports.
—
Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025
Reeves is a cranky, deadpanning Estragon, wallowing in frustration as his gangly limbs swing, unwillingly turning to his friend but also welcoming the help, the hugs.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
This is not a wallowing cruiser that isolates the driver in a leather cocoon, floating along, not entirely sure where the front end is.
—Mark Ewing, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Instead of wallowing in her misery, the movie accompanies her, like best friend Christina (Denise Gough), who checks in regularly with unconditional support.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
For the next few hours, Beau stayed in the hallway, wallowing in misery and looking outside the window, hoping to see his partner.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025
With his life on the poetry circuit a distant memory, Saxberger is suddenly propelled out of his humdrum life, when he is ‘rediscovered’ by a group of young admirers wallowing in nostalgia for the lost downtown New York of the late 1970s and early ’80s.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
Democrats have generally supported pork spending, but both parties end up wallowing in it.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 13 Aug. 2025
My father was living alone in that dark, filthy room like an old animal wallowing in its own excrement.
—Lee Chang-Dong, The New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2024
Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025
Reeves is a cranky, deadpanning Estragon, wallowing in frustration as his gangly limbs swing, unwillingly turning to his friend but also welcoming the help, the hugs.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
This is not a wallowing cruiser that isolates the driver in a leather cocoon, floating along, not entirely sure where the front end is.
—Mark Ewing, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Instead of wallowing in her misery, the movie accompanies her, like best friend Christina (Denise Gough), who checks in regularly with unconditional support.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
For the next few hours, Beau stayed in the hallway, wallowing in misery and looking outside the window, hoping to see his partner.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025
With his life on the poetry circuit a distant memory, Saxberger is suddenly propelled out of his humdrum life, when he is ‘rediscovered’ by a group of young admirers wallowing in nostalgia for the lost downtown New York of the late 1970s and early ’80s.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
Democrats have generally supported pork spending, but both parties end up wallowing in it.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 13 Aug. 2025
My father was living alone in that dark, filthy room like an old animal wallowing in its own excrement.
—Lee Chang-Dong, The New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wallowing
Verb
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So, if the Phillies were to target Bichette, there would be some sort of shuffling in the infield.—
Patrick McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
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In 2022, Kelsey pleaded guilty to illegally shuffling money from his state Senate campaign account to his federal congressional campaign account.—
Vivian Jones,
Nashville Tennessean,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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What’s gained by indulging our doom?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
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But Septime Webre’s choreography is supposed to have the air of wild and sometimes frenzied social dancing, of Charlestons and Fox Trots and Black Bottoms, of indulging the glorious excesses of the 1920s before the greedier side of the American Dream comes crashing down a few years later.—
David Lyman,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And some people kept watching and swaying and moving.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
9 Nov. 2025
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Some people kept watching and swaying and moving.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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King dressed for the interview in a vibrant Los Angeles Dodgers jacket, basking in the afterglow of their stunning World Series victory against the Toronto Blue Jays.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
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Day-trippers dot the lake, braving chilly swims, renting rowboats, and basking in the sun.—
Lucy Kehoe,
AFAR Media,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Advertisement Her victory also carries national implications for Democrats, who are struggling to chart a path between progressive energy and centrist caution ahead of the 2026 midterms.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
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Always Greener, which scored 15 nominations on the annual Brit List, is a high concept script that follows a struggling artist, haunted by past failure, who is given a one-in-a-million chance to become his rich and successful doppelganger from a parallel universe.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wallowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wallowing. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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