wilding

adjective

Definition of wildingnext
as in feral
living outdoors without taming or domestication by humans a herd of wilding mustangs

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wilding This experience prioritizes the animals’ wellbeing by focusing on increasing the population, collecting data, and working with experts who have success in re-wilding. — Jack Tydeman, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wilding
  1. feral
  2. wild
  3. savage
Adjective
  • More important, Tubbs detected in Ferguson someone who, under the feral exterior, shared his affection for hard work and heterodox thinking and quietly nursed a desire to become part of something larger than himself.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
  • Not every invasive species is as dramatic or fearsome as a Burmese python or a feral hog—but that doesn’t lessen their impact on native ecosystems.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 8 July 2026
Definition of feral
Adjective
  • This setup, wherein a group of arbiters hide behind a curtain like the Wizard of Oz and hand down decisions that inflict generational trauma on entire countries, almost feels purposefully built to invite all sorts of wild speculation.
    — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 14 July 2026
  • Great throng to roar out wild welcome as triumphant idol of golfdom returns … Bobby Jones is coming home today.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of wild
Adjective
  • The Yellow Death has disfigured the population, and soldiers in white-and-red tunics serve the savage Duke of Tviot.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
  • Josefowicz, in her decathlon of a performance, brought Ligeti’s savage discontinuities to the surface.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of savage

Browse Nearby Words

wildfires
wilding
wildish
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wilding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wilding. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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