wild 1 of 3

adjective

ˈwī(-ə)ld How to pronounce wild (audio)
Definition of wildnext
1
as in feral
living outdoors without taming or domestication by humans wild animals can be shy or aggressive when confronted by humans

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2
as in uninhabited
existing without human habitation or cultivation that land has been completely wild since the owners abandoned it

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3
as in turbulent
marked by turmoil or disturbance especially of natural elements a wild night, full of wind and rain

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4
as in bizarre
conceived or made without regard for reason or reality some wild claim that he was abducted by aliens

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5
as in strange
different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion public speakers in the park typically spout some wild ideas

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6
as in frantic
marked by great and often stressful excitement or activity the holidays were especially wild around here this year

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7
as in barbarian
not civilized ancient traces of a wild people who lived in mountain caves

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8
as in excited
showing urgent desire or interest they're just wild to go on the ecotour through the Amazon rain forest

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wild

2 of 3

adverb

as in wildly
in a confused and reckless manner as soon as the doors opened, early-morning bargain hunters ran wild through the store

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wild

3 of 3

noun

as in wilderness
that part of the physical world that is removed from human habitation some animals aren't meant to live outside of the wild

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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 wild
Adjective
Some involve wild proportions—one client masquerades as a Moko Jumbie (stilt-walking dancer). — Clare Coulson, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026 And if the party gets a little too wild, and someone knocks the jams into the drink, don't worry. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026
Adverb
Hundreds of miles off the coast of Ecuador, in the very place that inspired Charles Darwin’s seminal theory of evolution, a wild-growing species appears to have hit rewind. — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025 Lamb's Quarters Lamb's quarters is a wild-growing green that's very high in calcium. — Jillian Kubala, Health, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
Some of this may sound a little wild. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 31 May 2026 Seafood, when caught wild, varies in price due to water temperatures, spawning, overfishing and other factors. — Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for wild
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wild
  1. feral
  2. uninhabited
  3. turbulent
  4. bizarre
  5. strange
  6. frantic
  7. barbarian
  8. excited
Adjective
  • Such contradictions, that cats can be both domesticated and yet somewhat feral, is part of their appeal, says comedian Drennon Davis, whose four cats have found internet fame via his short-form videos.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • After that feral beginning, the rest of the album is mostly contemplative, wistful, and understated, amid cascading guitars and various sounds that are at times acoustic or gently swirling.
    — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of feral
Adjective
  • Biscayne 21, now an uninhabited shell, sits on a bayfront slice of Edgewater, a high-end residential neighborhood just north of downtown Miami.
    — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The phone was deliberately dropped over uninhabited terrain to reduce any risk to people on the ground.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of uninhabited
Adjective
  • His re-election came on the back of a turbulent few years, ones where Barca’s finances were as much a story as their football.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The new play follows the fortunes of a wealthy but troubled clan through a turbulent period in Nigeria’s recent history.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of turbulent
Adjective
  • The bizarre explanation brought an end to an episode that generated widespread attention online after Pierre initially accused the courier of stealing the order.
    — Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • An exhausting, head-spinning and often downright silly offseason is officially over after college football really kicked off on Thursday (after the always bizarre Week 0 last weekend).
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of bizarre
Adjective
  • In a strange quirk of the 2026-27 fixture list, Leeds have been sent to the scenes of those crimes in quick succession once again.
    — Beren Cross, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • In short, unruly crowds, strange smells, intrusive noise and late nights are not unique inventions of the TikTok era.
    — Douglas Robson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of strange
Adjective
  • Fulham’s current rest-defence shape leads to frantic back-tracking defending, while the opposition can pull the centre-back partnership across the pitch with passes in behind and switches into the channels.
    — Thom Harris, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Booth was in Toronto with his wife to attend an international convention for the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) when delegates from New York suddenly received frantic calls and left the meeting.
    — Kaanita Iyer, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of frantic
Adjective
  • Language would have been a part of the divide between Roman and barbarian.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 June 2026
  • For the design of the barbarian figure, Sweet reached out to Mark Taylor, an artist and designer at Mattel.
    — Sanat Pai RaikarAll, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 May 2026
Definition of barbarian
Adjective
  • This offseason, that group added a second-round pick to the group in Max Klare and got excited about a Year-2 breakout for Terrance Ferguson.
    — Nate Atkins, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • In the kitchen, Shannon cries because Vicki, who was so excited about this trip, has basically gone nonverbal.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of excited

Phrases Containing wild

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wigwams
wild
wild and woolly
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Cite this Entry

“Wild.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wild. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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