1
as in revelling
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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The technology included corrupt automatic shuffling machines that read cards and predicted which player had the best hand.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
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Card-reading contact lenses, X-ray poker tables, trays of poker chips that read cards, hacked shuffling machines that predict hands.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In 2023, House Republicans held hearings on the companies' roles in swaying votes around environmental, social and governance investing.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
24 Oct. 2025
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In another video, which Anaver shared on Facebook two days later, the interior of his home could be seen swaying back and forth.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The other people Ye tries to big-foot into indulging his perverse Peter Pan complex fare more poorly.—
Derek Robertson,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Oct. 2025
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Whether that’s indulging Wes Anderson’s imagination (as a three-time member of his ever-growing ensemble) or producing her own projects, Johansson always manages to surprise.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Connery was no stranger to struggling to find work.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
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That’s a strong selling point at a time when many organizations are struggling to find qualified candidates to fill security roles.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Along with other royals, like King Constantine of Greece and their families, Juan Carlos and Diana were frequently photographed enjoying the sun on his royal yacht, Fortuna, and basking in the Spanish summer.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
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A week after looking aghast in Tampa Bay at the 49ers’ injury-riddled plight, Williams had a different view of things this past Sunday night, all while basking in the glow of victory and a 5-2 record.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wallowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wallowing. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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