What does "wild" mean?
The undomesticated state of a wild animal.
Wild
/waɪld/ adj, adv, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, adv, name, noun, verb, slang ·Top 500 ·Elementary level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The undomesticated state of a wild animal.
- Grammar: wild is listed as adj, adv, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: wilderness, abandoned, absurd, accident prone.
- Useful contrasts: temperate, bred organism, city park habitat.
- Usage evidence: The importation of rare wild animals to this country is strictly prohibited.
How to use "wild"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "wild" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "wild" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "wild" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "wild" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "wild" is acting as adj, adv, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "wilderness" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "wild", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The undomesticated state of a wild animal. singular, with-definite-article
"After mending the lion's leg, we returned him to the wild."
- 2 Alternative form of weald. alt-of, alternative
- 3 a wild and uninhabited area left in its natural condition wordnet
- 4 A wilderness. in-plural
"1730–1774, Oliver Goldsmith, Introductory to Switzerland Thus every good his native wilds impart Imprints the patriot passion on his heart; And e’en those ills that round his mansion rise Enhance the bliss his scanty funds supplies."
- 5 a wild primitive state untouched by civilization wordnet
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Something that is able to stand in for others, such as a particular playing card in a game.
Verb
- 1 To commit random acts of assault, robbery, and rape in an urban setting, especially as a gang. intransitive, slang
"...Chief of Detectives Robert Colangelo, who said the attacks appeared unrelated to money, race, drugs, or alcohol, said that some of the 20 youths brought in for questioning has told investigators that the crime spree was the product of a pastime called "wilding". "It's not a term that we in the police had heard before," the chief said, noting that the police were unaware of any similar incident in the park recently. "They just said, 'We were going wilding.' In my mind at this point, it implies that they were going to raise hell."..."
- 2 (In the form wilding or wildin') To act in a strange or unexpected way. intransitive, slang
"They had a big influence on me. They had a big influence on Brooklyn period. I like the nonsense. [laughs] They were wildin'. Everyone in Brooklyn was liking that shit. They're wildin'. Their story in the stu, it gets deep."
Adjective
- 1 Untamed; not domesticated.; Especially, being of the wild type: being of an unbroken ancestral line of undomesticated animals, as opposed to being feral, being an undomesticated animal whose ancestors were domesticated.
"Near-synonym: indigenous"
- 2 Untamed; not domesticated.; Being in the wild, by any pathway (whether by being of the wild type, by being feral since birth, or by being feral after escape from domesticated life).
- 3 From or relating to wild creatures.
"wild honey"
- 4 Unrestrained or uninhibited.
"I was filled with wild rage when I discovered the infidelity, and punched a hole in the wall."
- 5 Raucous, unruly, or licentious.
"The fraternity was infamous for its wild parties, which frequently resulted in police involvement."
Show 13 more definitions
- 6 Of unregulated and varying frequency.
"The aircraft's navigational equipment should not be powered from the wild AC bus except in an emergency, as its computers can be damaged by variations in electrical frequency."
- 7 Visibly and overtly anxious; frantic.
"Her mother was wild with fear when she didn't return home after the party."
- 8 Furious; very angry.
- 9 Disheveled, tangled, or untidy.
"After a week on the trail without a mirror, my hair was wild and dirty."
- 10 Enthusiastic.
"I'm not wild about the idea of a two day car trip with my nephews, but it's my only option."
- 11 Very inaccurate; far off the mark.
"The novice archer fired a wild shot and hit her opponent's target."
- 12 Exposed to the wind and sea; unsheltered.
"a wild roadstead"
- 13 Hard to steer.
- 14 Not capable of being represented as a finite closed polygonal chain.
- 15 Amazing, awesome, unbelievable. slang
"Did you hear? Pat won the lottery! — Wow, that's wild!"
- 16 Very unexpected; wildly surprising; crazy, diabolical. slang
- 17 Able to stand in for others, e.g. a card in games, or a text character in computer pattern matching.
"In this card game, aces are wild: they can take the place of any other card."
- 18 Of an audio recording: intended to be synchronized with film or video but recorded separately.
"a wild track; wild sound"
Adjective
- 1 (of the elements) as if showing violent anger wordnet
- 2 without civilizing influences wordnet
- 3 deviating widely from an intended course wordnet
- 4 intensely enthusiastic about or preoccupied with wordnet
- 5 located in a dismal or remote area; desolate wordnet
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 (of colors or sounds) intensely vivid or loud wordnet
- 7 in a state of extreme emotion wordnet
- 8 fanciful and unrealistic; foolish wordnet
- 9 involving risk or danger wordnet
- 10 talking or behaving irrationally wordnet
- 11 without a basis in reason or fact wordnet
- 12 in a natural state; not tamed or domesticated or cultivated wordnet
- 13 marked by extreme lack of restraint or control wordnet
Adverb
- 1 Inaccurately; not on target. not-comparable
"The javelin flew wild and struck a spectator, to the horror of all observing."
- 2 Intended to be synchronized with film or video but recorded separately. not-comparable
"Let's record it wild."
Adverb
- 1 in a wild or undomesticated manner wordnet
- 2 in an uncontrolled and rampant manner wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from Middle English originally referring to a wild person, or for someone living in uncultivated land.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The importation of rare wild animals to this country is strictly prohibited."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "wild"?
Common synonyms include: wilderness, abandoned, absurd, accident prone, accident-prone, addled.
How do you use "wild" in a sentence?
The importation of rare wild animals to this country is strictly prohibited.
How do you pronounce "wild"?
Pronounced /waɪld/.
Etymology
From Middle English wild, wilde, from Old English wilde, from Proto-West Germanic *wilþī, from Proto-Germanic *wilþijaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂welh₁- (“hair, wool, grass, ear (of corn), forest”). Cognates Cognate with West Frisian wyld, Dutch wild, German wild, Danish vild, Swedish vild, Norwegian vill, Icelandic villtur.