English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

wowee

intj

(informal) Used to show great surprise or excitement.

Woz

name

An informal nickname for Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer.

Wozniak

name

A Polish surname, most notably borne by Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Inc.

WPS

noun

Wi-Fi Protected Setup: a feature on many home routers that lets a device join the wireless network by pressing a button or entering an eight-digit PIN instead of typing the password.

wrack

noun

What is left after something has been destroyed or wrecked.

wraith

noun

A ghost or ghostly figure, especially one believed to appear around the time of a person's death.

wraithlike

adj

Looking pale, thin and ghost-like.

wraithy

adj

Having the pale, ghostly look of a wraith.

wrangle

verb

To argue or quarrel at length, often noisily.

wrangler

noun

Someone who herds or manages livestock, especially horses.

wrangling

noun

Prolonged and often heated argument or dispute.

wrap

verb

To cover something completely by folding material around it.

wrapped

noun

An end-of-year summary feature, popularized by Spotify, showing a user's activity over the year.

wrapper

noun

A covering used to wrap something, especially food or a package.

wrapping

noun

Material used to wrap or cover something.

wraps

adj

Slang for finished, over, or without any hope of continuing.

wrath

noun

Intense anger, often with a desire for revenge.

wrawl

verb

To make a loud, wailing sound like a cat.

Wray

name

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "corner" or "nook of land."

wreak

verb

To cause or inflict something damaging or violent, such as havoc, damage, or revenge.

wreaking

verb

Causing severe damage or trouble; the -ing form of "wreak".

wreath

noun

A ring-shaped arrangement of flowers, leaves, or other material, used for decoration or as a mark of honour or remembrance.

wreathe

verb

To twist or coil something, especially into the shape of a wreath.

wreck

noun

The remains of a vehicle, ship, or structure that has been destroyed or badly damaged.

wreckable

adj

Able to be wrecked or badly damaged.

wreckage

noun

The broken remains or debris left after something, such as a vehicle or building, has been destroyed.

wrecked

adj

Destroyed or badly damaged, especially in an accident.

wrecker

noun

A person or company that dismantles damaged vehicles or salvages usable parts from wrecks.

wreckful

adj

Causing great damage or destruction.

wrecking

noun

The act of demolishing or salvaging something that has been destroyed.

wren

noun

A small brown songbird, especially the Eurasian wren, known for its loud song and short, upright tail.

wrench

noun

US: a hand tool used to grip and turn nuts, bolts, or pipes; called a spanner in British English.

wrength

noun

(old-fashioned) The state of being wrong or mistaken.

wrest

verb

To pull or twist something suddenly and with force.

wrestle

verb

To grapple with an opponent, trying to throw or pin them down, often as a sport.

wrestler

noun

A person who wrestles, especially as a sport or profession.

wrestling

noun

A sport in which two competitors try to pin or control each other using holds and grips, with no weapons involved.

wretch

noun

A person who is very unhappy or in a pitiful, miserable condition.

wretched

adj

Extremely unhappy or in a miserable, unfortunate state.

wretchedness

noun

A feeling of deep unhappiness or suffering, in mind or body.

wretchock

noun

(dialect) The smallest or weakest creature in a group, especially a young bird.

wrick

verb

To twist or turn something suddenly.

wriggle

verb

To twist and turn the body with quick, small movements; to squirm.

wriggling

noun

The act of twisting and squirming with small movements.

wright

noun

A person who makes or builds something, especially by hand; now mostly seen in compound job titles.

Wrigley

name

A surname, notably associated with the Wrigley chewing gum company founded by William Wrigley Jr.

wring

verb

To twist and squeeze something, especially wet fabric, to force liquid out of it.

wringer

noun

A device with two rollers used to squeeze water out of wet laundry.

wringing

noun

The act of twisting something to force liquid out.

wrinkle

noun

A small crease or fold in an otherwise smooth surface, especially skin or fabric.

wrinkled

adj

Covered with small creases or folds, especially describing skin or fabric.

wrinkly

adj

Having many wrinkles.

wrist

noun

The joint connecting the hand to the forearm.

wristband

noun

A band worn around the wrist, for decoration, identification, or to absorb sweat during sport.

wristbanding

noun

Fabric used to make the cuffs of a shirt.

wristlet

noun

A stretchy band worn round the wrist to stop a glove from falling off.

wristwatch

noun

A watch worn on a strap around the wrist.

writ

noun

A formal written order from a court instructing someone to do or stop doing something.

write

verb

To form letters, words, or symbols on a surface in order to record or communicate information.

write off

verb

To decide that someone or something is a failure and not worth any further effort or attention.

writer

noun

A person who writes, especially as their profession, such as an author or journalist.

writhe

verb

To twist the body sharply, especially in pain or extreme discomfort.

writhing

adj

Twisting the body sharply, usually in pain.

writing

noun

The activity or skill of forming letters or symbols to represent language.

written

adj

Expressed or recorded in writing, as opposed to spoken.

wrixle

verb

To swap or trade one thing for another.

wrong

adj

Incorrect or not true.

wrongdo

verb

To act badly, breaking a rule or causing offence.

wrongdoer

noun

A person who behaves badly, whether that is unethical, immoral or illegal.

wrongdoing

noun

Illegal or immoral behaviour.

wrongful

adj

Unjust or unlawful.

wrongfully

adv

In an unjust or unlawful manner.

wrongly

adv

Incorrectly or by mistake.

wrote

verb

The past tense of write: formed letters, words or symbols on a surface, or composed a text, letter, piece of music or program.

wrought

adj

Made or shaped, often by hand or with great effort; an old-fashioned past form of "work".

wry

adjective

Dryly humorous, often in a way that shows you know a situation is awkward or difficult; ironic.

wryneck

noun

A small Old World woodpecker that can twist its head almost all the way round while it searches for food.

wsg

abbreviation

What's good? — a casual greeting meaning roughly "how are you" or "what's going on".

wsp

abbreviation

What's up? — a casual greeting used to open a message or check in with someone.

wtf

phrase

Where the fuck, why the fuck, when the fuck, or who the fuck.

WTW

abbreviation

Short for "what's the word", used in messages and social posts to ask someone what is happening or what the plan is.

Wu

name

A group of closely related Chinese language varieties spoken around the lower Yangtze River, including Shanghainese; the second most widely spoken Chinese language family after Mandarin.

Wudang

name

A mountain range in Hubei, China, famous as a center of Taoism and the origin of Wudang martial arts.

Wugong

name

A mountain in Jiangxi, China, and a term also referring to Chinese martial arts skill in fiction.

wujiang

name

The name of a district within Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.

wunna

pron

(dialect) A word meaning 'you', used for more than one person.

wurly

adj

Describes something tiny and insignificant, or a person who is small and weak.

wuss

noun

An informal, slightly mocking word for someone seen as weak, timid, or easily scared.

wussy

adjective

Weak, timid, or lacking courage; used informally and often as an insult.

wuz

verb

An eye dialect spelling of was.

WWJD

abbreviation

What Would Jesus Do: a question Christians ask themselves as a guide to behaviour, prompting them to choose the response they believe Jesus would have chosen.

www

name

A form of WWW in a different letter case, serving as a high-level qualifier within a website address.

wy

noun

The name used for the letter Y when spelling something out loud.

WYA

abbreviation

Short for "where you at", used in messages to ask someone where they currently are or why they have not arrived.

Wyatt

name

A masculine given name and English surname derived from an Old English name meaning "brave in war."

wychert

noun

A mixture of chalk and clay, traditionally combined with straw to build walls.

WYD

abbreviation

Short for "what you doing", used to ask someone what they are up to at the moment, often as a way of opening a conversation or floating plans.

wye

noun

The name given to the letter Y.

Wyler

name

A German-Jewish surname, notably borne by film director William Wyler.

wyles

name

An English surname, a variant of Wiles

Wylie

name

A Scottish surname and given name, a variant of Wiley, meaning "water meadow."

WYM

abbreviation

Short for "what you mean", used to ask someone to explain what they just said.

wynd

noun

A thin lane or passage, often running between houses.

Wyndham

name

An English surname and place name, also a well-known international hotel brand.

wynn

noun

An old English letter (ƿ) once used to write the "w" sound, before it was replaced by the modern letter W.

wynne

name

A male first name of Welsh origin.

wynona

name

A female given name, a variant of Winona.

Wyoming

proper noun

A state in the western United States, known for its mountains, wide-open plains, and Yellowstone National Park; capital Cheyenne.

wyrm

noun

A giant dragon-like beast with no legs or wings.

wyvern

noun

A mythical winged creature with two legs and often a spiked tail, resembling a dragon.